Shatter
by Itachi-21
Summary: Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro are students of the Shin'o Academy during a time of darkness and evil. Troubles plague the school, and as the boys struggle through each day, they learn important lessons and meet unexpected friends who will help them on their journey through Hell.
1. Year 1: The First Day

_**This is the prequel to **__**Unbreakable Bonds**__**. This story talks about Jushiro, Shunsui, and Yui's time in the Shin'o Academy, although it starts with Jushiro and Shunsui's first year, so there won't be much mention about Yui until the second or third year.**_

* * *

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

**_Chapter 1: First Day_**

Ukitake Jushiro's first day at the Shin'o Academy was a bright and sunny day. There were no clouds in the blue sky. Birds sang from their perches in the leafy trees, and a warm and gentle breeze blew past. Academy students were milling around in front of the Shin'o Academy, waiting for the headmaster of the school to come and give them the welcoming speech.

Jushiro was dressed in the male uniform for the Academy, which consisted of a blue undershirt, a white shirt with blue stripes, blue hakama, white socks, and sandals. There was also a circular symbol on both breasts of the white shirt. Females had had the exact same uniform, but theirs were red instead of blue.

With his white hair, Jushiro stood out among the other first-years. His hair was naturally black, but due to a disease that he was born with, his hair had turned white in a span of three days. Fellow students who walked past him would stare for a few seconds before looking away. Jushiro was used to this, so he didn't particularly mind.

The white-haired Ukitake was so busy looking around that he didn't notice where he was walking until he bumped into someone else. Stumbling back, Jushiro regained his balance and looked up to see a tall, muscular, black-haired male looking at him with piercing green eyes.

"Ah, I'm sorry," Jushiro apologized, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"That's alright," the other student said. He stuck out his right hand, "I'm Kurosawa Gorou. Nice to meet you…uh…"

"Oh, I'm Ukitake Jushiro," Jushiro shook Gorou's hand, "It's nice to meet you as well, Kurosawa-san."

Gorou nodded. "So what do you think of the school so far, Ukitake-san? I have to say that it looks impressive. I can't wait to start the classes."

"Me neither," Jushiro agreed, "Which dorm are you in?"

"I'm in Room 120. What about you?"

"Room 145. We're going to be pretty far apart."

"You'll have a maximum of three other people sharing your dorm," Gorou informed, "Each room can house four people. If you get the dorm to yourself, then at least you'll have a quiet place to study and plenty of room to relax."

Jushiro wanted to have other people in the room to talk to, but he knew that with his disease, that wouldn't happen. Most people were disgusted by him, and they would stay away. His possible roommates would probably do the same thing.

The arrival of the headmaster, Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, brought Jushiro out of his thoughts. The chattering of the students fell silent as they waited for the welcoming ceremony to begin. Even the brown-haired boy who had been flirting with a group of girls stopped reluctantly to listen.

"First-years!" Yamamoto's voice boomed across the school grounds, "Welcome to the Shin'o Academy, where you will be taught the skills needed to be a proper Shinigami!"

The ceremony finished rather quickly, and the first-years were finally allowed into the building so they could find their dorms, put their luggage away, and receive their schedules. As Jushiro and Gorou entered the building, Jushiro couldn't help but notice Yamamoto speaking to the brown-haired boy who had been flirting earlier.

He was reluctant to say goodbye to Gorou when they parted ways to find their rooms. He shuffled with the crowd, peering at the open doorways for Room 145. Finally managing to find it, he quickly slipped into the room before the crowd swept him past it.

The room was a lot bigger than he expected. Two sets of bunk beds were pushed against opposite walls with a window between them. Below the window was a desk, no doubt used for studying. There was another door in the room which led to a bathroom. There was a garbage can next to the desk, and a laundry basket placed next to the doorway to the hall.

Jushiro walked over to a bunk and placed his bags on the bottom bed. Suddenly, a voice spoke from the doorway, making the white-haired student jump and turn around to see a dark-skinned boy with purple hair standing there.

"Ah, sorry if I scared you," the boy said apologetically, coming into the room, "I'm also in this room. My name is Shihouin Isamu."

"Shihouin?" Jushiro squeaked in shock, "You mean the noble Shihouin family?"

Isamu's golden eyes twinkled with amusement at Jushiro's reaction. "Yeah, but please don't be formal with me. I would prefer being called 'Shihouin' or 'Isamu' instead of 'Shihouin-san' or 'Shihouin-sama.' You haven't told me your name yet."

"Oh, sorry. I'm Ukitake Jushiro. Nice to meet you."

"Ditto. Are you taking the bottom bunk?"

"I prefer sleeping on the bottom but if someone else wants it, I can sleep on top."

Isamu grinned, showing his perfect upper teeth. "Well, you won't have to worry about me. I like sleeping on the top bunk." With that, he scrambled up the ladder so that he was above Jushiro. Stretching his arms, he sighed, "Aaah! These beds are really comfortable!"

Jushiro smiled at Isamu's friendly attitude. His gaze fell on the desk, where four stacks of papers were laid out carefully. He moved towards them and saw that each stack consisted of a map, a schedule, a guide, and a small ID card.

"Hey, Shihouin," Jushiro held out Isamu's stack, "These papers are yours."

"Hmm? Oh, thanks, Jushiro."

There was a silence as both boys glanced through what was written on each sheet of paper. Both of them were in Class 1, which was the advanced class. They were still comparing schedules when someone said, "Excuse me."

Isamu and Jushiro looked up to see a boy with scruffy red hair and jade green eyes standing in the doorway with a scowl on his face.

"I am Kamikaze Kaito," he introduced himself in a monotonous voice, "May I ask your names?"

_Another noble, huh? _Jushiro thought. "I'm Ukitake Jushiro. Nice to meet you."

"Shihouin Isamu," Isamu added, "Let's be friends, Kaito."

Kaito glared at Isamu. "Don't address me so informally when you've just met me, Shihouin-san," he retorted coldly, "Nobility has to set an example for the lower class." His eyes flicked to Jushiro at the last sentence, who felt anger rise in his chest at the insult.

"Okay, okay," Isamu held up his hands in surrender, "I'll call you Kamikaze-san, if that's fine with you."

Kaito's only reply was the turn of a head. Isamu rolled his eyes as Jushiro swallowed his indignation at the uptight redhead. The white-haired turned to the desk, where one final stack of papers remained. He picked up the ID card, reading the name.

"We have one more," he told Isamu, "This Kyouraku Shunsui still hasn't shown up yet."

"That would be me," a voice drawled from the doorway.

Jushiro, Isamu, and Kaito looked around to see someone leaning against the doorway lazily. Jushiro immediately recognized the newest arrival to be the boy who Yamamoto had been speaking to, as well as the one who had been flirting with a group of girls.

Shunsui had short, messy brown hair and gray eyes. There was a lazy smile on his face as he waved to his roommates casually, "Morning."

"Morning," Isamu returned cheerfully. Jushiro greeted Shunsui as well while Kaito gave him a mere nod of acknowledgement.

Shunsui came in, closing the door behind him. "Top or bottom?" he asked Kaito.

"Top," Kaito said as he climbed the ladder. Shunsui flopped himself onto the bottom bunk, kicking off his sandals and throwing the blanket over himself. Jushiro and Isamu exchanged looks.

"Hey, Shunsui," Isamu started. The brown-haired boy opened an eye.

"Hmm?"

"Are you in Class 1?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Shunsui yawned.

Jushiro raised his eyebrows at Shunsui's tone. It almost sounded as though he didn't want to be in Class 1. Before Jushiro could ask, however, there was a tapping noise at the window. Everyone turned to see a fierce-looking hawk pecking at the glass, a piece of paper tied to its leg.

They were surprised when Kaito jumped off the top bunk and hurried to open the window. Once the paper was untied from its leg, the hawk ruffled its feathers and took flight again, flapping its powerful wings to gain speed and height. Kaito swiftly scanned the contents of the paper before crumpling it up and throwing it in the garbage.

"What was that, Kamikaze-san?" Isamu asked.

"None of your business," Kaito replied coldly as he exited the dorm.

There was a long silence before Isamu muttered, "We should lock him out."

Choosing to ignore that suggestion, Jushiro said, "He uses hawks to carry his messages?"

"It's not just him, Ukitake," Shunsui answered, surprisingly, "The entire Kamikaze family uses them. The current head of the family is supposedly obsessed with birds."

"How do you know my name?" Jushiro asked, startled.

Shunsui shrugged. "My father told me about an Ukitake who had white hair, so I guessed that it was you." He turned to Isamu, "And judging by your dark skin and purple hair, you must be a Shihouin. Only members of the Shihouin family have purple hair."

"Yup," Isamu grinned, "Shihouin Isamu. Nice to meet you."

"Ukitake Jushiro. Pleasure," Jushiro said once he had gotten over his initial shock.

"And you know my name already," Shunsui waved his hand, "Kyouraku Shunsui."

"So you're from a pretty high-ranking family, too…" Isamu mused.

Shunsui snorted somewhat derisively. "Yeah. High-ranking family. Great."

Isamu blinked at Shunsui's attitude. "I'm sorry if I offended you with anything I said…" he began.

"No, no. You said nothing wrong," Shunsui interrupted mildly. He looked like he was about to say something else, but was stopped by the arrival of two more students, girls this time.

"There you are, Shunsui!" A tall girl with spiky, black hair and a stern expression on her face said. A shorter girl with shoulder-length black hair and gray eyes stood behind her, peering cautiously into the room.

Shunsui jumped out of bed immediately. "Chouko-chan, my beautiful flower! Have you come to whisk me away in your arms…?" he shouted as he ran towards the spiky-haired girl with his arms outstretched.

"Never!" Chouko snapped back, punching Shunsui in the gut. He collapsed to the floor with a grunt as Jushiro and Isamu stared in astonishment. It was as though neither of them had seen such a display before, and they probably haven't until today.

"A-Are you okay, Kyouraku?" The second girl asked Shunsui in a soft and concerned voice.

"Oh, my dear Aimi-chan!" Shunsui cried, jumping up and throwing his arms around Aimi, "Save me from the beast; I beg you!"

"_What _did you call me?" Chouko growled as Aimi tried to stop her from ripping Shunsui's head off.

Isamu chose this moment to clear his throat, bringing the trio's attention to him and Jushiro. Chouko's eyes narrowed dangerously while Aimi blushed and managed to escape from Shunsui's hug.

"Yes?" Chouko asked, eyeing Isamu and Jushiro warily, "Are you Shunsui's roommates?"

"Yes, we are. I'm Ukitake Jushiro and he's Shihouin Isamu. It's nice to meet you," Jushiro said before Isamu could say something stupid and direct the scary girl's anger at them.

"Shiba Chouko, and this is Kuchiki Aimi," Chouko tilted her head towards her friend, who bowed slightly to the boys.

"A lot of noble children are attending this school," Jushiro commented, "I've met six people so far and only one isn't from a noble family."

"Who?" Isamu asked curiously.

"Kurosawa Gorou-kun."

"If you ask me, I think that nobility is just an excuse people use to act as though they have a stick up their ass," Chouko snorted, "Thank goodness not everyone's like that."

The boys' thoughts immediately went to Kaito, who obviously wouldn't get along with Chouko.

"Anyway, Shunsui," Chouko continued nonchalantly, "Aimi and I came to ask if you have any paper you can spare."

"Sorry, nope," Shunsui yawned, "What do you need it for?"

"We want to send a letter to our friend," Aimi answered quietly, "But neither of us have paper to write on."

"A friend?" Shunsui gasped excitedly, "A girl? Can you introduce me?"

"Yes, she's female, and no, we're not going to introduce you," Chouko replied, rolling her eyes exasperatedly. Shunsui pouted.

"Why don't you just write on the back of her letter to you?" Jushiro asked, "Or you could ask one of our instructors for paper. You could also wait until you have paper before you reply to your friend."

Chouko stared at him for so long that Jushiro began to feel slightly uncomfortable. "What?" he asked nervously, feeling like a cornered mouse under her gaze.

"You are my new best friend," the Shiba girl declared.

"Oh, okay…" Jushiro agreed uncertainly while Isamu snickered.

"Paper aside, Aimi and I are going to take a look around the school. Want to come?" Chouko questioned.

The three boys agreed, Shunsui quite eagerly. Jushiro brought his map and the group decided to find the rooms for their classes first.

Their first destination was the Kido Theory class, which was located on the first floor, near the front door. The five of them tromped downstairs and almost immediately ran into a lost-looking Gorou.

"Ukitake!" Gorou exclaimed in surprise when he saw Jushiro's white hair.

"Kurosawa!" Jushiro greeted, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm lost," Gorou admitted embarrassedly, "I thought that I would explore the school, but I forgot my map, and I don't know the way back to my dorm to get it."

"In that case, come with us," Jushiro offered, "We're exploring the school, and I've got my map right here. After we're done, we could go find the way to your dorm together."

Gorou's eyes brightened. "You don't mind?"

"Of course not," Aimi reassured, "If you are Ukitake-san's friend, then you're our friend as well. I'm Kuchiki Aimi. It's nice to meet you." She bowed to Gorou, who hastily bowed back.

"Kurosawa Gorou," he answered hastily, "The pleasure is all mine, Kuchiki-san."

"Please just call me Aimi, Kurosawa-kun."

"I'm Shiba Chouko. Just call me Chouko. And I'm warning you now: I don't take crap from anybody."

"Shihouin Isamu. Just Isamu is fine, Gorou."

"Kyouraku Shunsui. Nice to meet you."

"Alright. Now that introductions are over, let's get going," Isamu said excitedly, "On to the Kido Theory classroom!" He charged off down the hall.

"Shihouin! The classroom's this way!" Jushiro called after him. Isamu ran back, blushing with embarrassment as the others laughed.

"I knew that," he said as he dashed off in the direction Jushiro indicated. The others followed quickly, some still exchanging chuckles.

The teacher for Kido Theory was a man in his early 70s. His name was Yukimura Daisuke. He was quite friendly with kindness dancing in his eyes as he greeted the new students. His classroom was pretty big, and the window gave a good view of the academy's grounds, despite the heavy bushes growing in front of it.

Next was the room for Soul Society's History class. The teacher was a young, stern-looking man who had a dull drone of a voice. As they left the classroom, Isamu leaned over and whispered in Jushiro's ear, "I'm definitely going to fall asleep in that class."

Seireitei's Law and Government class was on the top floor. The door was locked and the room was dark, signaling the absence of the teacher. Zanjutsu class was on the first floor in a large, spacey room. Rows of bokken lined the wall on the far side.

The group took the time to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch before heading to the back of the school, where classes for Hakuda and Hoho were held.

The field behind the school was huge, with a section of it fenced off for Hakuda class. The rest of it was reserved for Hoho lessons.

Aside from some storage rooms that were off-limits to students, the group had gotten a good idea of the Shin'o Academy's layout by nighttime. They had dinner together before parting ways to head back to their dormitory.

When Jushiro, Isamu, and Shunsui finally arrived back at their room, Kaito was sitting on his bed, reading a sheet of paper. Judging by his wet hair, he had taken a shower not too long ago.

"Hey, Kamikaze," Shunsui drawled, "What's up?"

Kaito glanced up sharply before folding up the sheet of paper and tucking it under his pillow. "Nothing, Kyouraku-san. Family business." He laid down, threw his blankets over himself, and turned so that he was facing the wall, clearly not inclined to speak to the other three. Shrugging, Shunsui made his way to his bed and threw himself onto the mattress without bothering to change out of his uniform.

"Better get some rest, Ukitake," Isamu yawned, "We're starting classes tomorrow."

* * *

_Kurosawa Gorou (__黒澤 五郎__) – Kurosawa means 'black swamp' while Gorou means 'fifth child.'_

_Shihouin Isamu (__四楓院 勇__) – Isamu means 'courage.'_

_Kamikaze Kaito (__神風海翔__) – Kamikaze means 'god wind.' Kai means 'ocean' in this case and to means 'to fly.'_

_Shiba Chouko (__志波 蝶子__) – Chouko means 'butterfly child.'_

_Kuchiki Aimi (__朽木 愛美__) – Ai means 'love' and mi means 'beautiful.'_

_In this story, there are seven noble houses: Shihouin, Kuchiki, Kamikaze, Shiba, and three others of which only one will be introduced later._


	2. Spar

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

**_Chapter 2: Spar_**

The next morning, Jushiro woke up to someone roughly shaking him and shouting in his ear. As he blinked open his eyes, Isamu's excited face swam into focus.

"Ukitake! You're finally awake!" he said as Jushiro blinked sleep from his brown eyes, "Today's our first class day. Hurry up and get dressed so we can go get breakfast." He threw some clothes into Jushiro's face, eliciting a small 'oof' from the latter, and dashed into the bathroom.

Groaning slightly, Jushiro rubbed at his chest. There was a slight uncomfortable prickling where the Shihouin had applied a little too much pressure a few seconds ago. The white-haired boy massaged it slowly, hoping that his illness would hold off for a little while so that he wouldn't start hacking up blood on the first day of class.

After some time, the prickling sensation faded away and Jushiro sat up. Across the room, Shunsui was still snoring away, dead to the world despite Isamu's loud yelling earlier. The bed above Shunsui was empty: the redheaded occupant had already left. Jushiro changed out of the yukata he wore to sleep and put on the Shin'o Academy's uniform. He had just finished tying the obi around his waist when Isamu came bouncing back out from the bathroom, drying off his wet hair with a towel.

"Was Kamikaze-san here when you woke up, Shihouin?" Jushiro asked out of curiosity.

"Nope," Isamu answered, "He was already gone." He tossed the towel onto the back of a chair. "There's still plenty of time. Go take a shower while I wake this one up." He nodded to the snoring lump of a Kyouraku.

"Alright." Jushiro walked into the bathroom as Isamu started shaking Shunsui.

When Jushiro came back out after his shower, he found Isamu desperately smacking Shunsui's face with a pillow.

"What are you doing?" the white-haired boy asked, confused and shocked.

"He won't wake up!" Isamu wailed, "I shook him, yelled in his ear, poked him, and tickled him but he just won't wake up."

"Let's try rolling him out of bed," Jushiro suggested. He and Isamu stood over Shunsui. Isamu grabbed the sleeping student under his arms while Jushiro took his feet. Together, they lifted Shunsui out of bed and in one smooth motion, dropped him unceremoniously on the floor. Shunsui woke up with a loud grunt. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head sleepily.

"Wha...?" he mumbled.

"First day of class, Kyouraku!" Isamu shouted, shaking Shunsui by the shoulders, "Get ready so we can go down to breakfast."

Shunsui let out a mournful groan and laid back down on the floor, pulling his blanket on top of him. Isamu looked mortified.

"Hey, Kyouraku! What are you doing?" he cried, "We have class today. You can't go back to bed!"

Jushiro watched in amusement and exasperation as Isamu struggled to get Shunsui to get up. Suddenly, a spasm went through his chest, causing him to go into a coughing fit. Isamu stopped harassing Shunsui for a brief second to cast a concerned glance at his other roommate. Jushiro held up a hand before the Shihouin could say anything.

"I'm okay," the white-haired boy lied as the coughing passed, "I just, uh, choked on my own spit by accident."

Isamu grinned. "Relax, Ukitake. I think we've all done that before." He turned back to the figure huddled on the ground. "KYOURAKU!"

"Oh, come on. Can't I get a bit more sleep?" Shunsui whined, peeking out from under the blanket.

"We're going to be late if we waste any more time," Jushiro said, "Sorry."

Shunsui continued to complain for quite a bit of time after that, and when Jushiro and Isamu finally managed to get him out of the dormitory, they were pressed for time. The two of them hurried down for breakfast, dragging a pouting Shunsui with them, and made it into their first class just as the first bell rang.

"Almost late on the first day, Shihouin, Ukitake, Kyouraku?" Their sensei gave them a disapproving look from bored-looking eyes.

Jushiro and Isamu quickly bowed and murmured apologies, but Shunsui just stood there, covering a yawn with his hand. The teacher shot the brown-haired Kyouraku a glare but didn't say anything.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again," he addressed them all frostily before waving them to their seats.

The three of them headed for vacant spots at the back of the classroom, Shunsui pausing to give the female students a playful wink. The teacher turned around to see why all the girls were giggling. He was most certainly not pleased when he found Shunsui flirting with the girls.

"I would appreciate it if you could refrain from displaying such inappropriate behavior in my class, Kyouraku," he said coldly.

"Alright, alright. No need to get your panties in a bunch," Shunsui said casually, sitting next to Jushiro.

The teacher shot one last glare at Shunsui before starting the lecture on Soul Society's history. The class was truly dull. Jushiro spotted some students staring wistfully out the window or watching the teacher with glassy eyes. About twenty-five minutes into class, Jushiro looked to his left and found Isamu beginning to nod off. Jushiro cast a wary glance at the teacher before giving Isamu a sharp jab in the ribs. The Shihouin woke up immediately and looked around wildly for a second before shooting Jushiro a grateful look.

The white-haired boy looked to his right and found Shunsui fast asleep. He groaned in his head. The Kyouraku was going to be a pain to wake up. Jushiro wasn't sure if he should even try. In the end, he didn't have to, seeing as their sensei heard Shunsui's snoring and had taken the liberty of kicking him out of class. Shunsui had not seemed to care one bit, and both Jushiro and Isamu guessed that he probably went back to their dormitory to sleep.

Sure enough, Shunsui didn't show up for Kido Theory, which was right after History of Soul Society. Yukimura-sensei was not happy, and Shunsui missed a lot of notes on reiatsu control. Jushiro couldn't help but wonder how the lazy boy got into the Academy in the first place. He hadn't shown any particular talent yet, besides being able to sleep through many of Isamu's wake-up calls.

Jushiro shook his head. It wasn't any of his business if Shunsui wasn't going to bother coming to class. He had his own studies to focus on without having to worry about his lackadaisical roommate.

After their three morning classes, Isamu and Jushiro headed down to lunch together.

"I heard that first year is supposed to be one of the busiest years," Isamu said as they entered the cafeteria, "We have six classes to attend this year while there are only four for the other five years."

"When do we get to choose which squad to go into?" Jushiro asked.

"I think you start receiving offers in fifth year, and you have to choose by the last day of sixth year," Isamu explained, "I already know which squad I want to go into."

"Second squad, right?"

The Shihouin nodded. "The Shihouin family specializes in secrecy and Hakuda, and so far, all Heads of the family have been a captain of the Second and commander of the Onmitsukido. It's almost become a tradition."

"Not to mention you'll be disgraced if that 'tradition' breaks, right, Shihouin?" Chouko slid into the seat next to Isamu. Aimi sat next to Jushiro.

"Hello, Ukitake-kun, Shihouin-kun," she greeted shyly.

"How did you know that?" Isamu asked Chouko in surprise.

The Shiba girl rolled her eyes. "Both of our Clans are nobility. Of course we'd know about each other." She then cast a glance at the table's occupants. "Where are Shunsui and Kurosawa?"

"I haven't seen Kurosawa-kun all day," Jushiro answered truthfully, "But I think Kyouraku is most likely sleeping in our dormitory since our sensei for History kicked him out of class."

To his surprise, Chouko just rolled her eyes and started eating her lunch. "He'll show up for afternoon classes, I'm sure. He's hated writing and studying for as long as I've known him."

"So far, I'd say the only thing he likes is sleeping," Isamu joked.

"That along with chasing women and sake," Chouko added. She paused, tapping her chin with a finger. "I think he also likes pink."

Isamu accidentally spat out his mouthful of his drink, spraying Jushiro with a mixture of water and spit. "What?" he half-shouted, handing Jushiro some napkins with a quick apology, "He likes _pink?__"_

"Yup," Chouko grinned. Suddenly, the grin turned into a scowl as she stared at the doorway of the cafeteria.

Isamu noticed right away. "What's wrong?" He turned to see what Chouko was staring at. All he saw was Yamamoto Genyusai Shigekuni speaking to a tall, black-haired man in the hallway.

The man looked normal. His hair was shoulder-length and slicked back. His eyes were a venomous green color, and although he was smiling at the headmaster, there seemed to be a cold and threatening air about him. All of a sudden, the man's eyes flicked to their table, clashing with Jushiro's eyes for a moment.

Jushiro quickly averted his gaze. Just one glance from that man had made the thoughts of blood, death, and murder run through his mind. When Jushiro gathered the courage to look at that man again, he was surprised to see that the disturbing aura had vanished and the green eyes seemed to be full of warmth.

"Who is that guy?" Isamu whispered quietly from Jushiro left.

"His first name is Hibiki," Chouko told them in a low voice, "I've only seen him once before, so I don't know his surname. He came to the Kamikaze manor a few months before the school year began. Asked to speak to the head of the Kamikaze family, but had left when Kamikaze-sama came down to see him. I don't trust him."

"He reminds me of someone," Jushiro admitted, cautiously eyeing Hibiki as the latter walked away from the cafeteria.

"Have you seen him before, too, Ukitake-kun?" Aimi asked.

Jushiro shook his head. "I have definitely never seen him before," he said with conviction, "I just think I've met someone who looks like him."

Chouko grunted. "Well, you should hope you never see him again. Aimi and I just received a letter from a friend in the Kamikaze family this morning. Apparently, one of their Kido weapons have gone missing."

"The Kamikaze family makes Kido weapons?" Isamu asked, surprised, "I didn't know that."

"The bokken that we're going to use in Zanjutsu class are made by the Kamikaze," Chouko informed him, "And speaking of Zanjutsu, we should get going before we're late."

The four of them quickly gathered their things and threw away the remains of their lunch before heading for the Zanjutsu classroom. They were surprised when they saw Shunsui already there, aimlessly tapping a bokken against his leg. When he saw Chouko and Aimi, his face split into a wide grin and flung his arms in the air.

"Chouko-cha~n! Aimi-cha~n!" he sang, running towards them while making kissy-faces.

_Whack! _Chouko had thrown her History textbook at Shunsui, hitting the womanizer right in the face. Shunsui let out a small 'ow' as he rubbed his bruised nose and pouted.

"But Chouko-chan...!" Shunsui whined, making another attempt to give the Shiba a hug. This time, Chouko stabbed the end of a bokken into Shunsui's chest, keeping the flirtatious teen at arm's length.

"No," she said firmly.

The sensei came into the room before Shunsui could make any more flirting attempts. "Alright, children. All of you take a bokken and line up against the walls," their teacher ordered.

The students were in for a surprise when they saw who their teacher was. Jushiro's eyes widened, Isamu's mouth fell open, and Chouko let out a tiny yelp of surprise. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni stood at the front of the class, holding his walking stick and looking utterly unamused.

"Yama-jii!" Shunsui suddenly called, waving. Yamamoto glared at the brown-haired teen before tapping his stick on the floor to regain the attention of every student.

Class started with them being divided into two groups: those that handled a weapon before and those who didn't. Jushiro had used a wooden sword a couple of times so he was in the first group with Shunsui and Chouko. Surprisingly, Isamu had never used a sword before, so he and Aimi were in the second group. Yamamoto ordered the Jushiro's group to get into pairs and spar while he spoke with the second group.

"Wanna spar?" Shunsui asked Jushiro as Yamamoto walked off.

"Sure," Jushiro agreed. The two of them found a space on the floor and got into fighting stances. They stood still for a few seconds, sizing each other up, and then simultaneously leaped forward and clashed. Shunsui was stronger than Jushiro, catching the latter by surprise. The white-haired teen was forced back a step, teeth gritted in determination not to lose. Jushiro pushed back, bringing it to a stalemate.

"Not bad, Ukitake," Shunsui grinned.

"I could say the same for you," Jushiro replied. The two of them jumped back and dashed in for another attack. Their bokken collided again and again, neither one gaining the upper hand for a while. However, as the spar dragged on, Jushiro felt more and more drained and his chest was beginning to hurt. An especially painful twinge distracted him momentarily, giving Shunsui an opening to knock Jushiro's bokken from the latter's hands. Jushiro stumbled and fell from the force as his bokken flew through the air and landed on the other side of the room with a clatter.

Shunsui approached Jushiro and held out a hand. "Are you alright? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?" he asked with concern.

"I'm okay," Jushiro reassured as he accepted the hand. He retrieved his bokken and fell into a fighting stance again. Shunsui copied him and the two began another round.

As the rounds continued, Jushiro found himself enjoying sparring with Shunsui. Shunsui was enjoying it too actually, and the pair only stopped when Yamamoto called a halt.

"That's enough, you two. Class is over," he said. That was when Jushiro and Shunsui noticed that the rest of the class had stopped practicing and had been watching them spar.

"Y-Yes, sir." Jushiro quickly put the bokken back on the rack where he got it and scooped up his books.

"Thanks for the spar, Ukitake," Shunsui grinned as he stretched his sore muscles and yawned.

"Any time, Kyouraku." Jushiro answered, "I only hope future spars are less bruising as the one we just had."

"Don't worry about future spars yet, Ukitake!" Isamu appeared out of nowhere and slung an arm around Jushiro's shoulders, "We have Hakuda next, and I wanna spar with you."

Jushiro groaned silently. Hakuda class was indeed torture as Jushiro's poor muscles got pummeled even more, this time by a Shihouin. Fortunately for him, Isamu kindly pointed out where his mistakes were and helped him correct his posture and stances. By the end of class, Jushiro was becoming pretty decent at Hakuda.

After Hakuda came Hoho. The instructor ordered the entire class to run five laps around the school. The students immediately groaned, which prompted the teacher to add an extra lap, so they had to do six laps total.

By the end of the day, almost everyone was exhausted to the point where they just laid down on the grass in the field where they had Hoho classes. The last class of the day ended at four, and dinner was served at seven, leaving the students with three hours of free time.

"Please...never again..." Isamu begged no one in particular as he curled up on the grass to rest his sore muscles. Jushiro flopped down next to the Shihouin and closed his eyes.

Hours later, Jushiro and Isamu were shaken awake by Shunsui. Isamu sat bolt upright and immediately let out a yelp of pain as his cramped muscles protested. Jushiro knew better and got up more slowly.

"You were hard to wake up," Shunsui chuckled, "Although I'm not surprised, after such intense training."

"Speak for yourself," Isamu scoffed, stretching, "Ukitake and I could barely wake you up in the morning." He brushed off bits of grass from his uniform. "What time is it?"

"Dinner time," Shunsui answered, "Chouko-chan, Aimi-chan, Gorou-kun, and I were waiting for you two, but you never showed up so I came out to find you."

"Thanks, Kyouraku," Jushiro said gratefully, "I'm starving."

"And I look forward to sleeping," Isamu yawned as the three of them walked back into the school.

As they entered the cafeteria, someone bumped into Shunsui. "Ah, my apologies, student," the man said.

Jushiro and Isamu immediately recognized the man to be none other than Hibiki. They both froze and cast wary glances at the black-haired man while Shunsui did not seem to notice anything wrong.

"No, no, it was my fault," Shunsui waved a hand lazily, "I apologize for bumping into you, sir."

Hibiki's lips curled into a small smile. His gaze briefly swept over Isamu and Jushiro before he gave them a small nod and continued on his way.

_Yare, yare. What a scary guy. _Shunsui thought to himself as he watched the black-haired man depart.

* * *

_Yukimura Daisuke (幸村 __大__輔) - Yukimura means 'snow village' and Daisuke means 'great help.'_

_Hibiki means 'echo.'_

_In this story, there are seven noble houses: Shihouin, Kuchiki, Kamikaze, Shiba, and three others of which only one will be introduced later._


	3. Rukongai Massacre

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

**_Chapter 3: Rukongai Massacre_**

Hibiki hurried towards the looming manor, his long robes swishing in the strong wind that blew across the surface of the earth. The moon stood high in the sky as dark clouds swarmed around it, occasionally blocking the moonlight. Tree branches bent and leaves rustled as another cold breeze came in. Hibiki impatiently brushed a strand of hair from his face. He walked up to the black iron gate and identified himself to the guard there. The guard allowed him entrance, and the black-haired man quickly walked up to the house and pushed the door open, closing it carefully behind him.

The inside of the manor was as dreary as the outside. Cobwebs covered the walls and ceiling in sheets, and the squeaking of rats could be heard throughout the house. There were no lights, but Hibiki had no trouble seeing in the dark. He was used to it, having been to this mansion many times before.

Finally, he arrived in the room he was looking for. The room was a spacious living room with a small table in the center of it. A single, lit candle was at the center of the table, casting an eerie light on the two occupants in the living room.

Hibiki was familiar with the man that was smiling at him. The head of the Kokushibyou family, Katsuo, was a muscular man of average height. His long black hair was tied up into a high ponytail, and chin-length black bangs framed his face. Violet eyes watched carefully as Hibiki sat down to his left.

"Welcome, Hibiki." Katsuo's voice was enough to send shivers up Hibiki's spine.

"Thank you, Kokushibyou-sama," Hibiki bowed his head slightly and turned his gaze to the room's other occupant who was sitting on Katsuo's right.

Hibiki did not recognize the woman. She had long silver hair tied into a bun with a few strands hanging in front of her ice-blue eyes. She was dressed in all white and there was a silver bell attached to the obi that was tied around her waist. _She's a...! _Hibiki thought, thoroughly shocked, _No, that's impossible. That family died out centuries ago._

Katsuo noticed Hibiki's surprise and smirked lightly. "Hibiki, may I introduce you to our new comrade?"

Hibiki transferred his gaze to the Kokushibyou, who held out a hand to the silver-haired woman. "This is Suzuki Kanon," Katsuo drawled, "And yes, she is the last member of the Suzuki family."

"How can that be?" Hibiki exclaimed, "The entire Suzuki family went extinct hundreds of years ago. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni confirmed it!"

"Even Yamamoto can be wrong, Hibiki," Katsuo said smoothly, "Now with introductions out of the way, why don't you tell us about your mission, Hibiki."

Hibiki squared his shoulders. "Yes, Kokushibyou-sama," he said, "A few days ago, I managed to acquire the Mizukagami (Water Mirror) from the Kamikaze household. Just today, I shipped that Kido weapon, along with all others that we've obtained so far, into the Shin'o Academy."

Katsuo nodded. "Does anyone suspect you?"

"No, sir. Kamikaze-sama is too air-headed to guess that it was me, and my son provides me with a valid excuse to visit the Shin'o Academy."

Katsuo's pleased expression vanished. "Do not underestimate the Kamikaze family, Hibiki. Kamikaze-sama may seem like a dunce, but don't forget that his father was a captain of the original Gotei 13. Not to mention that his eldest daughter is too smart for her own good." He leaned forward, violet eyes fixed on Hibiki's pale face. "I heard that she nearly saw you. What was her name again?"

"Kamikaze Yui," Hibiki swallowed. "I assure you that no one saw me, Kokushibyou-sama."

Katsuo smiled menacingly. "Good. I would hate to have to kill the girl for being in the wrong place at the wrong time." He shifted his position so that he leaned back into the chair. "Now then, I assume that both of you have brought your items?"

Hibiki nodded and took out a bloodred glove from underneath his cloak. Katsuo looked approving.

"The Gouka Tebukuro (Hellfire Glove)," he said, "Made by your family, I believe."

"Yes, sir," Hibiki admitted, "It is the most powerful Kido weapon of the Kurosawa household."

"Good, good," Katsuo murmured. He turned to Kanon. "And yours, my lady?"

Without a word, the Suzuki woman took out a small, black box. Katsuo touched a finger to the lid. "The Unmei no Hako (Box of Fate). When opened, the victim that is shined on by the light suffers from the kind of death they fear most." He caressed the box for a little longer before reaching into his pocket and extracted a white whip.

"The Fuyu no Muchi (Winter's Whip)," Katsuo sighed, "Unrivaled in its power over ice and snow." He took the whip and cracked it over a vacant chair that stood nearby. A sheet of ice immediately appeared at the place of contact, spreading until it encased the chair completely. Katsuo looked satisfied and put the whip away. He then beckoned at a shadow in the corner of the room, which turned out to be one of the Kokushibyou guards.

"Well?" he prompted the guard, who fell to one knee and bowed his head.

"Kokushibyou-sama," the guard spoke in a low voice, "The clouds have completely covered the moon, sir. A storm is on its way."

"Excellent." Katsuo stood from his seat. Hibiki and Kanon followed. "We shall carry out our mission tonight. Be careful not to leave anything that may lead the authorities to you. Understood?"

"Yes, Kokushibyou-sama," Hibiki and Kanon replied.

The three of them, Katsuo leading, walked out of the manor. The guard at the gate handed them black cloaks, which they immediately put on. Once their faces were hidden, the trio continued on their way at a pace that wouldn't arouse suspicion. They exited Seireitei through the South Gate, arriving in District 1 of South Rukongai.

"Why don't you grab their attention, Hibiki?" Katsuo suggested lightly.

Hibiki took out the Gouka Tebukuro and put it on his right hand. Tiny bits of flame appeared at the ends of his fingertips. He clenched his fist, letting it become engulfed in fire, and thrust his arm forward in a punching motion. A fireball left his fist and collided with a house, promptly setting the structure on fire.

Screams rang throughout the night, escalating swiftly as the fire began to spread to neighboring houses. The three of them watched as souls began to pour out of the houses like ants. After a few moments of speculation, Katsuo withdrew the Fuyu no Muchi from his robes and Kanon brought out the Unmei no Hako.

With one swing of his arm, Katsuo hit a large number of panicking souls. The victims immediately froze over, the shock still visible on their faces through the ice. At this point, most souls realized that the trio was here to kill them and began to flee, screaming and begging to be spared.

The three paid no attention to the pleas and continued to kill the souls. The souls hit by the flames of Gouka Tebukuo were burned to ashes, ones that came into contact with Fuyu no Muchi froze to death, and victims of Kanon's Unmei no Hako died instantly, some in the most gruesome of ways. The attacks continued until everyone in sight was dead or dying.

Katsuo put away the Fuyu no Muchi, admiring their work. "That was too easy," he said, a little disappointed. As he spoke, lightning flashed across the sky, followed by the low rumble of thunder and the hissing of rain. Any flames that had been flickering still were extinguished, leaving behind nothing but charred remains of whatever was being burned.

Katsuo brushed his wet hair out of his eyes as he turned away from the bloody scene. "I am satisfied with the result. Let us head back, Hibiki, Kanon," he said. The other two obediently followed him back to the manor, not bothering to spare the corpses one last glance.

When they got back to the manor, they were thoroughly soaked by the pouring rain. The three of them removed their cloaks and handed them to a guard, who took them to a servant to be washed.

"You are welcome to stay the night, if it suits you," Katsuo told Kanon and Hibiki, "I have spare bedrooms that you may borrow for the night."

"That is unnecessary, Kokushibyou-dono," Kanon replied stiffly, "I will be fine at my home." Without waiting for an answer, she stepped back out into the rain and vanished, using Shunpo to get to her home swiftly.

Katsuo looked at Hibiki. "Will you stay, Hibiki?"

"Of course, Kokushibyou-sama."

* * *

Jushiro was woken by a crash of thunder. Groaning, he got out of bed and closed the window, which Isamu had opened before going to bed. The room was cold, making him shiver as he climbed back into bed and wrapped the blankets around himself. Shunsui, Isamu, and Kaito were still fast asleep, though Kaito rolled over so that he was facing the wall. Jushiro stifled a cough as he pulled the covers over his head and closed his eyes again, letting the rumble of thunder lull him back to sleep.

In the morning, Jushiro was woken up by Isamu again, this time more gently. The white-haired student was confused to see concern in the Shihouin's eyes.

"Are you okay, Ukitake?" Isamu asked, "You look really pale and you were huddled under your blankets before I woke you up."

Jushiro swallowed, wincing as a twinge of pain throbbed in his throat. "I'm okay," he rasped, sitting up slowly.

"You sure?" Isamu's eyes watched him carefully, clearly not believing his friend. "Alright then," he sighed when Jushiro nodded. The two of the proceeded to wake up Shunsui by dropping the poor boy on the floor again, just like yesterday. Once again, Shunsui let out a small 'oof' as he hit the floor, and tugged his blanket down to the floor with him. Isamu started shaking the Kyouraku, yelling in his ear the entire time.

Amid the yelling, Kaito poked his head from above Shunsui. "Will you keep it down?" he snapped, "Why are you even awake at this time?"

"What are you talking about, Kamikaze-san?" Isamu paused and Shunsui peeked out from under the covers, "We have class today, don't we?"

"Morning classes have been cancelled," the redhead informed them irritably, "There's a notice posted on our dormitory door. We have a school assembly from 10 to 12, so shut up and go back to bed or stay up and be quiet!"

Isamu had run to the door and brought in the notice. "It's true!" he exclaimed happily, "Breakfast is being served at 9 today instead of 8. I wonder what happened though." Suddenly, he was aware of two pairs of accusing stares directed at him. With a sheepish grin on his face, he apologized to Jushiro and Shunsui, "S-Sorry I woke you guys up so early."

"It's fine," Jushiro sighed, "I need to study for class anyway." He grabbed his uniform and headed into the bathroom. Isamu watched as he closed the door before turning to Shunsui, who was still on the floor.

"Do you think Ukitake looks a bit pale today?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Shunsui opened one eye blearily, "He's always looked pale."

Isamu shoved Shunsui exasperatedly. "Paler than usual," he said impatiently.

Shunsui closed his eye again. "Somewhat. It's probably nothing too serious though."

"What makes you say that?"

Shunsui folded his hands behind his head, eyes still closed. "Well, Ukitake didn't look like he was on the verge of collapse. If he's feeling ill, then he would have said something by now. Don't worry." Isamu reluctantly let the subject drop.

Jushiro came out of the bathroom dressed in the uniform. Careful to stay subtle, Shunsui watched the Ukitake carefully, noticing that the white-haired boy kept rubbing his throat and chest. _Maybe Jushiro is sick,_ Shunsui thought, watching as the boy took out notes and began to review them, _But he's too proud to admit it. _Then, he mentally shrugged and rolled onto his side, going back to sleep on the hard, wooden floor.

By 10 o'clock, the four boys along with the rest of the school had filed into the meeting room on the first floor. Kaito disappeared into the crowd the moment they entered the room, but Isamu, Jushiro, and Shunsui managed to get seats close to the front of the room where Yamamoto stood.

"Now that everyone is here, the school meeting shall commence," Yamamoto said, tapping his stick on the floor. The students immediately fell silent, and all eyes focused on the old man. Once he had the undivided attention of every single person in the room, Yamamoto began to speak.

"Last night, a terrible incident happened in District 1 of South Rukongai. Every single soul living in that area was murdered by what seems to be a large group of people. Just this morning, Shinigami from the 13th Squad discovered corpses that seemed to have died in various ways. Some were burned to death, some were frozen, and others were stabbed, strangled, or killed in other gruesome ways."

Whispers broke out among the audience, threatening to rise until Yamamoto banged his walking stick on the ground again.

"Due to the severity of the incident, the 13th Squad members will be patrolling the area around the Shin'o Academy. If you happen to come across someone in a black Shihakushou, you will not distract them from their work. If you are spoken to, then answer with respect! Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Every student said simultaneously.

Yamamoto cast a final glare around at the assembly. "Dismissed!" he ordered, followed by the thundering of feet as everyone stood up and began to exit the room.

* * *

_Kokushibyou Katsuo (黒死病 __勝__雄) - 'Kokushibyou' is the Japanese term for 'black death' as in the Bubonic Plague. 'Katsuo' basically means 'victory hero.'  
____Suzuki Kanon (鈴木 __花__音) - 'Suzuki' means 'bell tree' and 'Kanon' literally means 'flower sound.'  
And yes, Hibiki is a member of the Kurosawa family, just like Gorou. This is why Jushiro said that Hibiki reminded him of someone._


	4. Ill

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

**_Chapter 4: Ill_**

The air seemed unusually subdue in the Shin'o Academy that afternoon. Everywhere, there were groups of students talking about the news that Yamamoto had delivered that morning. The most common questions were 'Who was it?' and 'Why did they do it?'. Even the teachers looked somewhat worried, something that Isamu noticed immediately.

"The senseis look too concerned for it to be just an average Rukongai mass murder," he pointed out to both Shunsui and Jushiro, "There's probably something they're not telling us."

"They don't have to tell us," Jushiro pointed out, "We are only first years after all, so we probably wouldn't be able to do anything anyway." His sentence ended in a cough.

"Oh, dear, Ukitake. You've caught a cold," Isamu observed. Jushiro's face was flushed, and he was wheezing slightly. When Isamu tried to place his hand on Jushiro's forehead, the latter shied away.

"I'm okay," the white-haired boy covered his mouth as another cough worked its way up.

"Was it because I left the window open last night?" Isamu wondered worriedly, "I didn't think you'd be bothered by it..."

"I said I'm fine, Shihouin. Thank you for your concern." Jushiro smiled reassuringly, "It's just a cold. Nothing to worry about."

Once again, Isamu reluctantly dropped the subject. The three of them, Chouko, and Aimi headed for Zanjutsu class. This time, Yamamoto had one volunteer come up to the front so he could demonstrate some tactics and strategies to the rest of the class. Afterwards, he let them pair up and spar. Aimi and Isamu were sparring together, and Shunsui and Jushiro were practicing while Chouko paired up with another girl.

As the two boys began to spar, Shunsui could tell there was something off about his partner. Jushiro's attacks lacked strength, and his accuracy wasn't as good as yesterday. The white-haired boy was breathing heavily even though they had only exchanged a few blows, and sweat ran down his face in rivers.

"Hey, Ukitake. Want to take a break?" Shunsui asked, lowering his bokken slightly.

"Y-Yeah, I..." Jushiro's eyes suddenly widened and he began to cough harshly into his hand. He dropped to his knees, shoulders hunched as Shunsui ran over.

"Ukitake, you okay?" Shunsui crouched beside him and put a supporting hand on the white-haired boy's back as Chouko, Aimi, Isamu, and Yamamoto came over.

"I-I'm okay..." Jushiro was cut off again by a bout of coughing that was more vehement than the last. Something leaked between Jushiro's fingers and Shunsui leaned forward, frowning, to see what it was.

Blood.

"Shunsui, get Jushiro to the Healing Bay immediately," Yamamoto ordered. Shunsui put one of Jushiro's arms around his shoulders and wrapped an arm around his friend's waist, supporting the ill student out of the room. Jushiro continued to cough, splattering Shunsui's uniform with blood, but Shunsui barely noticed. He was too focused on getting his roommate to the Healing Bay.

By the time Shunsui managed to get Jushiro to the Healing Bay, the white-haired student had passed out. When Shunsui pushed open the door, a young healer came to greet him immediately.

"Oh, my!" the healer gasped, "What happened?"

"He just collapsed and started coughing up blood in Zanjutsu class," Shunsui explained hurriedly, "Please help him."

The healer nodded and beckoned him to follow her. She led them down the hall, pausing to order another healer to get someone called Unohana. They paused outside a vacant room and she said, "Please lay him on the bed so I can conduct an examination."

Shunsui obeyed immediately and backed off once Jushiro was placed in a comfortable position. The female healer began the exam with no waste of time, and for once, Shunsui made no attempt to flirt, choosing instead to watch as the healer took off Jushiro shirt and listened to the unconscious student's heartbeat. Then she moved to his lungs, and a frown crossed her face.

"What's the matter, Akiyama-san?" Both Shunsui and the healer, Akiyama, jumped as a new voice spoke from the doorway. Shunsui turned to see a slender, young woman with blue eyes and black hair smiling at them. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, trailing down her front instead of her back. She wore a white, captain's haori over the standard Shihakushou, the kanji for 4 standing out boldly on her back.

"Captain Unohana!" Akiyama bowed and swiftly stood aside as the female captain moved next to Jushiro's bed, "This student collapsed and coughed blood in Zanjutsu class. He was brought here by, uh..." She stared at Shunsui awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed for not knowing his name.

"Kyouraku Shunsui," Shunsui offered, grinning slightly. Unohana smiled at him before turning back to Akiyama.

"Well?" she requested.

"Y-Yes, captain," Akiyama straightened up, "The student's lungs are infected with some kind of unknown disease. Judging by the damage already present, I would guess that he's been ill for quite some time. It may also be the reason why his hair is white."

"Go check to see if there's any record of this student ever being present here before," Unohana ordered Akiyama.

"His name is Ukitake Jushiro," Shunsui supplied helpfully. Akiyama hurried out of the room, as Captain Unohana let her hands hover over Jushiro's chest, conducting a test by using Healing Kido. A few moments of silence passed by before the light from the Kido faded and Unohana withdrew her hand.

"He'll be okay, right?" Shunsui blurted out.

"If Ukitake-san doesn't overexert himself and takes the proper medication, his chances of surviving will high," Unohana explained, "But this illness cannot be cured through the use of any medication from Soul Society."

"What? He can't be cured?" Isamu had just arrived at the door, breathless and with Chouko and Aimi behind him. Unohana frowned as Akiyama appeared shortly after.

"I'm very sorry, Captain Unohana. I tried to stop them..." Akiyama started to apologize, but Unohana stopped her.

"It is alright, Akiyama-san," Unohana smiled, "Provided that they speak in low voices, so as not to wake up Ukitake-san."

"Oh, okay," Akiyama said, "Anyways, Captain. There are no records of Ukitake Jushiro-san ever coming into the Healing Bay before now."

Unohana nodded. "Thank you, Akiyama-san. I suspected as much. Now, I need you to go get the medicinal tea from Storage Room D, Section 4, Row 3, Shelf 1. While you're at it, grab the pain pills from the same row, but Shelf 3."

"Understood, Captain." Akiyama bowed and left the room. As her footsteps faded, Unohana turned to Shunsui and the others.

"Excuse me, but I will need all of you to leave the room so I can perform treatment on Ukitake-san. Once he is treated, I will explain things to you," she requested politely. Isamu and Chouko glanced uneasily at each other, but Aimi and Shunsui obeyed the captain of the 4th Squad immediately, and Isamu and Chouko soon followed.

After some time, the door to Jushiro's room opened again, and Unohana came out, taking off a pair of rubber gloves. Isamu went up to her at once.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Ukitake-san will wake up soon," Unohana began with the good news, "You are allowed to stay with him as long as your teachers know where you are." She gave them a pointed look before continuing, "Now, I believe that Ukitake-san would rather tell you about his illness himself, so I will leave most of the explaining to him when he wakes up. However, I will tell you that his case is not the first one that has been reported, but there is still no complete cure for it. I advise you all to make sure that he does not overexert himself from now on."

"Thank you very much, Captain Unohana." Aimi bowed deeply. The others voiced their thanks as well as they filed into Jushiro's room.

* * *

When Jushiro blinked open his eyes, he was surprised to see himself in a white room with harsh sunlight shining into his eyes. He made a disgruntled noise and raised one arm to shield his eyes. A sudden gasp nearby and quiet movement startled him, and he tried to sit up. A hand pushed gently on his chest, and there was a swishing sound as the window's curtains were drawn.

"You really gave us a scare, Ukitake," Isamu's voice made Jushiro drop his arm in surprise. He received an even bigger shock when he saw that Shunsui, Aimi, and Chouko were in the room as well.

"What happened?" Jushiro asked, his voice catching slightly.

"You collapsed, Ukitake-kun, remember?" Aimi reminded softly. Jushiro opened his mouth to come up with an excuse, but Chouko beat him to speaking.

"Don't lie to us, Ukitake," she said sternly, shooting him an angry glare, "We know about your illness. Captain Unohana told us."

Jushiro closed his mouth awkwardly as he became the center of attention.

"All Captain Unohana told us was that you have had this illness since you were born. Is that true?" Chouko asked.

Jushiro sighed. There was no point in trying to hide it any longer if they already knew. "Okay," he said, holding up his hands in surrender, "Okay. I'll tell you."

The four others got comfortable in their seats as Jushiro settled himself on the bed. "I was born with the illness that you were informed of. It's in my lungs, occasionally making me cough up blood. If the attack is worse enough, then I could pass out. There's no cure for this disease. My parents have tried everything already," he explained.

"Is your hair white because of the disease?" Isamu asked, "I thought it was strange that you had white hair but black eyebrows, but I figured that you would tell me if you wanted to."

Jushiro nodded. "During an attack when I was younger, I was bedridden for three days and my hair turned white during that time. I've tried cutting it to see if it grows out black, but as you can see, it doesn't." He gestured to his hair sadly.

"But why didn't you say anything?" Isamu inquired, "Why did you feel as though you needed to keep this disease a secret?"

Jushiro swallowed nervously. This part was probably the scariest thing that he had to do. "Well," he hesitated, "whenever other people found out that I was sick, they would avoid me and tell others not to come near me so..."

"Wait, wait, wait," Chouko held up her hands in a 'halt' motion, "Let me guess. You thought that we wouldn't want to hang around you anymore after we found out about your illness?"

"Yes..." Jushiro's whisper sounded like a clap of thunder compared to the dead silence that followed. Jushiro didn't dare look up to see the other four's faces. He was too afraid of what he might see there, and he was surprised by what Chouko said next.

"Are you kidding me?" Her bluntness made him look up.

"Huh?" That was all his stunned brain could allow him to say.

Isamu sighed. "What Shiba was trying to say was 'do you really think we'd leave you because you're ill?'"

Jushiro's mouth worked up and down as he processed what they were saying. "You mean...?" he choked out, hoping that what he thought was true.

Shunsui spoke this time. "We weren't friends with you because we thought you were healthy, Ukitake," he said, his gray eyes boring into Jushiro's brown ones, "We are friends with you because we like you as a person, and an illness isn't going to change that."

"Kyouraku-kun is right, Ukitake-kun," Aimi chimed in, "We don't care if you're sick. We're still your friends."

"That white hair actually looks pretty good on you," Chouko smirked, "Maybe you should start showing it off by doing hair-flips!"

"N-Never!" Jushiro protested rather vehemently, turning red as the other four laughed.

"Well, you seem to be enjoying yourselves in here," an amused voice sobered up the laughter at once as Unohana entered the room with a smile on her face. She approached Jushiro's bedside and asked, "How are you feeling, Ukitake-san?"

"Better," Jushiro replied truthfully.

"That's good," Unohana said, "The attack you had today was mainly triggered by the fever that you seem to have developed recently, probably from the rain storm last night. I've already given your body medicine for the fever, but I suggest you take it easy for the next day."

"Will I be able to attend class?" Jushiro asked hopefully, not wanting to end up missing lessons because of a fever.

"You may attend the classes of Kido Theory, Soul Society History, and Laws and Government of Seireitei," Unohana permitted, "But I suggest that you hold off on Zanjutsu, Hoho, and Hakuda tomorrow."

Jushiro nodded in assent.

"As for your illness, you are not the first case I've seen," Unohana continued, "The current captain of Squad 13 has it as well, and I've managed to find something that could help relieve your pain a bit." She took out a box and a bottle from her pocket and held them up. "The box is medicinal tea that will help keep your attacks at bay and helps you recover faster when you do get ill. The bottle contains pills that will help with the chest pain. Drop one pill in every cup of tea that you drink, and stir it until the pill is completely dissolved in the tea." She handed both items to him.

"How often do I...?" Jushiro broke off to cough and restarted, "How often do I drink the tea?"

"One cup in the morning, and one at night before you go to bed," Unohana answered, "Don't overexert yourself. Attacks come especially when you're stressed, exhausted, or ill. Also, make sure not to expose yourself to extreme temperatures. Being too hot or too cold can also trigger an attack."

"Yes, Captain Unohana," Jushiro answered, bowing as best as he could while remaining on the bed.

Unohana looked surprised. "I don't remember telling you my name."

"Oh, my friends told me that a 'Captain Unohana' told them that I was ill, and you're wearing a captain's haori, so you must be Captain Unohana," Jushiro pointed out.

Unohana smiled. "Indeed I am. Captain of the 4th Squad, Unohana Retsu. Nice to meet you all."

"Thank you for all of your help and advice, Captain Unohana," Jushiro answered formally.

"It is my duty," Unohana replied kindly, "As a healer, my job is to save any and all lives if possible." She turned to the door and said, "You are free to go, Ukitake-san. Take care of yourself."

* * *

_I've got news, my dear readers. The terrifying thing called school has begun once again, but I am a sophomore this year. I'm guessing you know what that means. Yep, less updates for fan-fiction! Now, this doesn't mean that I'm stopping with the updates completely. I will still be working on the story using Microsoft Word, but I will be avoiding Internet because it distracts me from homework. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but my school likes to mentally torture the students there. :(_


	5. The Signature Prank

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

_**Chapter 5: The Signature Prank**_

A red-haired man sat in an intricately decorated room. He was bent over a wooden desk, writing something on a sheet of paper. A clock hung on the wall on the opposite side of the room, its hands moving slowly to show the passage of time. The man didn't look up once, continuing to write diligently on the paper, only pausing to dip his brush in ink or to rub his wrist. His shoulder-length hair fell around his face, but he ignored it, focused on finishing the task at hand.

The door opened and a beautiful, red-haired woman walked in. She walked with her back straight and her head held high, giving off a proud and intimidating aura. She wore a long, white dress that trailed on the floor, and the extra-long sleeves were bunched up so that the tips of her fingers could barely be seen. Her hair was tied up into a bun and bangs framed both sides of her face. There was a somewhat stern look in her eyes and her lips were pressed in a thin line.

The man looked up and smiled wearily, "You're up late, dear. Are you still worried about the Mizukagami?"

The woman scowled. "Kamikaze Akio, you are going to work yourself sick if you keep this up."

Akio put down his brush. "There are things that need to be done, Keiko."

"It has been almost two weeks since the Mizukagami was stolen, and there's still no news on its whereabouts. Yet, you busy yourself with your dealings in Rukongai instead of trying to acquire information on where our Kido weapon has been taken!" Keiko said in a frosty voice.

Akio stood up, holding his hands up in a surrendering fashion. "Now, my dear Keiko, my business in Rukongai is important as well. Even noble families have to work to survive, you know."

"I know," Keiko said, "but whenever you go to Rukongai, you always bring back the most outrageous things for Yui to use for her pranks. It does not encourage the girls to behave like nobility."

"Yui-chan is still young," Akio replied softly, wrapping his arms around his wife in a hug. She returned it a little stiffly. "Either way, you have Kaito-kun if you like seriousness."

"That's not my point," Keiko sniffed.

Akio chuckled. "Alright, dear. I'll cut down on the outrageous objects that I bring back, although I admit I find Yui's pranks amusing and harmless at the same time."

"They are not amusing!" Keiko exclaimed, "She rigged a bucket full of mashed bananas that time Yamamoto-san came to visit. He did not appreciate having to clean out his Shihakushou."

"That prank happened to get her a good sensei," Akio reminded his wife, "She has not enrolled in the Shin'o Academy yet, but her skills are on par with that of an academy student."

"If only her behavior could improve as well," Keiko mumbled, "Moving on, what are you going to do about the Mizukagami?"

Akio pulled away and looked excitedly into Keiko's eyes. "I have some good news about that!" he said happily.

Keiko raised a perfect eyebrow. "Please tell."

Akio retrieved a sheet of paper from his cluttered desk. "The Mizukagami had disappeared by this day," he said, pointing to the date he had scribbled at the top, "But it was definitely still in the house on this day." He pointed to a second date he had written next to the first. "This means that the thief stole it sometime between these times. It could have been a visitor, which includes Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the head of the Kuchiki family, the head of the Shiba family, captain of the 5th Squad Kotsubari Rin, and Kurosawa Hibiki."

"Are there any clues?" Keiko asked, leaning in to see the words better.

"Fortunately, there is. Unfortunately, it's not going to help much if we want the thief to be punished."

"What is it?"

Akio grinned. "Our little Yui-chan saw who the thief was!" he cried gleefully. Keiko let out a gasp of shock.

"Who is it?" she whispered furiously, "And why didn't Yui say anything?"

"I asked her not to tell anyone besides me in case it put her life in danger," Akio explained, "And she couldn't apprehend the thief. This person is as dangerous as he looks."

"Who is it?" Keiko repeated impatiently.

Akio looked at her. "Kurosawa Hibiki."

Keiko's eyes hardened. "I see. It's a good thing Yui didn't try to stop him then. His Zanpakuto is deadly."

Akio smiled ruefully. "Indeed. I'm going to need to get this information to Yamamoto-san."

"But why won't Hibiki be arrested if we tell the Gotei 13 that Yui saw him stealing?" Keiko demanded.

Akio sighed, disappointment heavy in his voice. "Central 46 is unlikely to believe the word of a young girl. Yui was alone when she witnessed Hibiki's thieving act, so no one else saw him. Besides, you know how much influence Hibiki has over the Gotei."

"Will you be taking the message or will you send a messenger?" Keiko eyed her husband.

"I think I'll go myself," Akio decided, "If I send a messenger, then the message could be easily intercepted, and even if it wasn't, Yama-san might get the idea that it's not important, and leave it for later."

"Fine. Be careful," Keiko cautioned as Akio put on a traveling cloak and opened the door.

"I'll see you later," Akio promised as he shut the door. Keiko looked out the window and saw him walking in the direction of the Shin'o Academy. She watched as he disappeared into the distance, and only tore her gaze away when a startled shriek sounded from somewhere in the house.

With a sigh, she left the room. "What has Yui done now?" she muttered as she headed for the source of the scream.

* * *

That afternoon, Jushiro, Isamu, Chouko, and Aimi were waiting for their Hakuda instructor to arrive so they could start class. Since that time Jushiro had ended up in the Healing Bay, the others had been slightly more careful with the way they treated him.

Isamu no longer woke Jushiro up by attempting to shove the latter around. Instead, he did it by prodding Jushiro over and over until his roommate opened his eyes, usually with a slightly annoyed look. Once, Jushiro had forgotten to take his medicinal tea, and Isamu had run downstairs into the cafeteria with a cup for Jushiro.

Chouko still had her barbed tongue ready despite Jushiro's illness. However, she didn't scare him as often, and whenever she thumped him on the back, the blow wasn't as harsh as it would be before.

Aimi and Shunsui's behavior barely changed. Aimi had never treated Jushiro roughly before; she hadn't even touched him yet. The Kuchiki was very soft-spoken and she never seemed to raise her voice. Shunsui and Jushiro rarely spoke to each other outside of Zanjutsu. Sure, Shunsui would hang out with the rest of them but he usually chased after girls or slept.

While they stood there chattering and waiting for their sensei, Isamu noticed something and gave Jushiro a nudge.

"Where's Kyouraku?" he whispered into Jushiro's ear, "He was with us when we left Zanjutsu, but he's not here now."

Jushiro looked around the room. Sure enough, there was no sign of Shunsui anywhere. "Is he lost?" he wondered.

Isamu rolled his eyes. "It's been two weeks since we came here, Ukitake, I doubt he'd get lost."

Jushiro sighed and put down his Kido Theory notes, which he had been studying while waiting for the instructor to come. "I'll go look for him," he offered, "He probably went back to the dorm to sleep or something."

Isamu looked doubtful. "Well, hurry up. The teacher will blow a fuse if he comes and finds two of his students missing."

"I'll make it back," Jushiro promised as he slipped out of the room.

Once he was out, he began to retrace the route to Zanjutsu class. He walked quietly through the halls, looking around to see if Shunsui happened to be wandering around as well, by any chance.

When the white-haired student reached the darkened classroom for Zanjutsu, there was still no trace of Shunsui. He let out a sigh of frustration. It looked like he would have to walk all the way to the dorm to get the boy.

As he headed for the nearby stairs, he noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Walking over, he turned the corner and ran into the person he was looking for.

"Kyouraku!" Jushiro exclaimed, putting a hand to his forehead where it had collided painfully with Shunsui's chin, "Why aren't you in class? I had to come find you…mmph!"

Shunsui covered Jushiro's mouth with one large hand, glancing behind him warily. "Shh!" he cautioned, "Not so loud. Come here." Still covering Jushiro's mouth, the brown-haired womanizer led his roommate to a hidden spot where they could easily see down the hall.

Jushiro pried Shunsui's hand away. "What's going on?" he hissed, glaring at Shunsui.

"Watch," the latter murmured, "Don't say anything and watch. It's going to…"

A sudden yell cut Shunsui off. He gave Jushiro a hard shove. "Go!"

The two of them dashed out of their hiding place and began running as fast as they could down the corridor. "What did you do?" Jushiro shouted as they ran.

"Bucket of ice water!" Shunsui called back in his usual laid-back tone, "Old-fashioned, but my favorite prank."

Suddenly, someone grabbed the collar of Jushiro's shirt and threw him onto the floor, where he landed hard with the breath knocked out of him. Shunsui was tossed next to him, and they both looked up to see a sopping wet Hoho teacher glaring down at them.

"Kyouraku and Ukitake," she seethed as her reiatsu swirled around her angrily, "Skipping class to conduct childish pranks. I can't say I'm surprised that Kyouraku is doing things like this, but you, Ukitake, I expected better from you!" An evil glint appeared in her eyes. "Perhaps a trip to the headmaster's office will discourage you from further behavioral misconduct."

She really did march them to Yamamoto's office. When they arrived, she knocked loudly on the door and pushed it open when she heard Yamamoto say 'enter.' She walked in first, followed by a frightened Jushiro and an indifferent Shunsui.

Other than Yamamoto, there was one person in the room. The person was a tall, redheaded man with jade green eyes. Judging by the clothes he wore, he was from a noble family, and he watched curiously as the two academy students filed into the room.

Yamamoto himself sat behind a large desk. His eyes were closed, but both Jushiro and Shunsui were smart enough to know that he was awake. The headmaster lifted his head slightly at their entrance.

"What is going on?" he asked in a voice that easily made others feel significantly unimportant.

The Hoho teacher balked just slightly, but then steeled herself and said in a strong voice, "Headmaster Yamamoto, sir. I found these two rascals skipping class to set up a prank that consisted of a bucket of ice water."

Yamamoto opened one eye. "Judging by your appearance, you must have fallen into their trap," he rumbled. The Hoho teacher looked furious and started to say something but was interrupted by Shunsui.

"Ukitake did not help me set up that prank, Yama-ji," he drawled, "He came looking for me because I wasn't at Hakuda. He didn't even know that I had set up a prank until after sensei fell into it."

Jushiro was surprised. He didn't know what he expected, but it was definitely not Shunsui trying to get him out of trouble. The Kyouraku just didn't look like that kind of person.

"If Ukitake wasn't your partner-in-crime for the prank, then why did he run?" the Hoho teacher asked in a snarky way.

"Because I told him to," Shunsui answered flippantly, "Besides, even if he didn't run, you probably would've still dragged him here, sensei."

The sensei snarled and started forward, but Yamamoto suddenly tapped his walking stick on the ground. "Enough!" he declared, "You are dismissed." He nodded to the sensei, who looked furious but left anyway.

Next, he turned to the red-haired man, who looked amused by the exchange between the Hoho sensei and Shunsui. "My apologies, Akio, but we will have to continue discussing the matter some other time. I have two young rascals to deal with."

"It's perfectly fine, Yama-san," Akio reassured as he moved towards the door, "I shall come back at another time that's more comfortable for you."

Yamamoto gave Akio a final nod as the latter exited the room and shut the door. Now, he turned to Jushiro and Shunsui, peering at them silently.

Shunsui was the first to speak. "Hey, Yama-ji," he said lazily, "You're not going to punish Ukitake simply for trying to get me to go to class, are you?"

Yamamoto opened both of his eyes, scrutinizing the pair in front of him. "I can't believe you, Shunsui!" he snapped, annoyed with the brown-haired student in front of him, "It's bad enough that you refuse to attend classes, but pranking teachers? Unacceptable!"

Shunsui held up his hands. "Now, wait a moment, Yama-ji. That prank was set up for anyone who wasn't careful, not specifically for teachers."

"Who it was meant for doesn't matter," Yamamoto retorted, "I am going to have to issue punishment for this."

"Wait, Genryusai-sensei!" Jushiro blurted out, "I helped him with the prank! I will also take the punishment."

Shunsui gaped at his roommate with his mouth partially open in surprise. Yamamoto transferred his gaze to Ukitake, who tried to keep his nerves under control. He had spoken to the headmaster once before, but it wasn't under such nerve-wracking circumstances.

After a long moment, Yamamoto finally said, "Very well. Both of you will be cleaning the entire first floor tonight after dinner. As for the rest of fifth class, you might as well clean up the mess from your bucket-of-ice-water prank."

"Yes, Genryusai-sensei," Jushiro bent over in a quick bow and exited the office, Shunsui on his heels.

"Sorry I got you in trouble, Ukitake," Shunsui grinned sheepishly once they were out of earshot of Yamamoto's office.

"Ah, that's okay. We only have to clean the classrooms on the first floor," Jushiro smiled, waving his hand dismissively.

Shunsui's grin faded. "I still don't get it. Why did you lie and say that you were in on the prank, too?"

Jushiro's footsteps slowed as he contemplated his answer. "Well," he said slowly, "you're my friend, aren't you? Friends should cover each other's' backs, right?" He smiled at Shunsui again and kept walking down the hall.

"Friends…" Shunsui murmured to himself quietly so that Jushiro wouldn't overhear. Then, a big, goofy smile stretched across his face as he pounced on Jushiro from behind and gave the surprised boy a big hug.

"What the…Kyouraku!" Jushiro exclaimed, struggling to free himself from Shunsui's grasp, "Let go! What are you doing?"

"Thank you, Ukitake!" Shunsui sang as he lifted Jushiro into the air and swung the latter around.

"Kyouraku! Put me down!" Jushiro yelped. After his feet were firmly back on the ground, he huffed and said, "You're so childish."

Shunsui's grin changed into a smirk as he held out his arms. "How about giving this 'child' another hug?"

"No!"

* * *

_Kamikaze Akio (__神風 __昭夫__) – Akio means 'bright husband.'  
__Kamikaze Keiko (__神風 敬子__) – Keiko means 'respect child.'  
__These two are Yui's and Kaito's parents. They are both quite intelligent, and they will definitely show up again later in the story._


	6. Strength of the Spirit

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

_**Chapter 6: Strength of the Spirit**_

Kurosawa Hibiki made his way through the streets of Seireitei. A few people nodded to him as he passed, but most people moved to the sides of the road to get as far away from him as possible or ignored him. Either way, he paid no attention to the people around him and continued on his way to the meeting hall.

There was a meeting today. All of the heads of the noble families were called, as well as Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and a member of Central 46. Kokushibyou Katsuo was going to be present as well, since the Kokushibyou family was one of the seven noble houses, but the two of them were going to arrive separately to cover up the fact that they were working together.

When Hibiki arrived in the spacious room, he saw that the member of Central 46 and Katsuo were already there, along with the heads of the Kyouraku family, the Shiba family, the Kuchiki family, and the Shihouin family. He made eye contact with Katsuo for a brief moment before he turned and made his way to his seat.

After a few moments, the heads of the Ukitake family and the Kira family entered, followed by the heads of the Kasumi-oji family and the Kannogi family. The more outgoing families exchanged greetings as they sat down while the more stoic ones sat as still as statues.

While the others were busy talking, Hibiki sneaked a covert glance at Katsuo. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Katsuo turned to make conversation with Kyouraku. In the quick second that their eyes clashed, Hibiki had received a message from the head of the Kokushibyou family.

_Don't give away anything._

Hibiki took a deep breath. He intended to be very careful. After all, his goals would be ruined if they were to slip up and the Gotei 13 found out about what they were doing. He looked at his pale hands, clenched into fists underneath the table, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He wanted power. For as long as he could remember, the Kurosawa family had been a low-class, aristocratic family, like the Ukitake. However, the Ukitake family didn't seem to care much about their status. They were friendly to almost everyone and were respected by many.

On the other hand, the Kurosawa family didn't like their position and believed that they deserved to be in a higher position. Hibiki had vowed to bring the Kurosawa family more power when he was young, and Katsuo had promised to help him elevate the Kurosawa clan as long as Hibiki provided his services to the Kokushibyou.

"This meeting will now begin," one of the members of Central 46 declared, snapping Hibiki out of his thoughts. When Hibiki looked up, he saw that Yamamoto, Kamikaze Akio, and the heads of the Omaeda family and Fong family had arrived while he had been pondering his actions.

The chattering among the heads died down as everyone sat to attention. The Central 46 member looked around at everyone before saying, "I'm sure all of you know that this meeting was called to discuss the matter of the disappearance of several Kido weapons."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Some of the more notable Kido weapons are the Mizukagami, from the Kamikaze family, the Gouka Tebukuro of the Kurosawa family, the Unmei no Hato of the extinct Suzuki family, and the Fuyu no Muchi of the Kokushibyou family."

Hibiki narrowed his eyes at the mention of the Gouka Tebukuro and the Fuyu no Muchi. Katsuo had ordered him to hide those weapons, along with the Unmei no Hato, in the Shin'o Academy. Then, they both sent in a report saying that their families' weapons were missing. This was set up to erase suspicion on the two men.

Katsuo stood up. "I would like to point out something that I've realized a few days ago," he stated.

The Central 46 member nodded. "Go ahead, Kokushibyou-sama."

Katsuo turned to the others heads. "The massacre in District 1 of South Rukongai showed signs of many different killing methods. There was evidence of fire, ice, strangulation, decapitation, poisoning, and stabbing."

"What's your point?" Omaeda asked, stuffing his face with food that he brought to the meeting.

Katsuo smiled, but to Hibiki, it looked more like a sneer. "I'm saying that the ones who conducted the Rukongai massacre are probably the ones who stole the Kido weapons."

A low muttering sound came from the other heads as they leaned towards each other to discuss Katsuo's theory. Katsuo raised his voice slightly and spoke over them, "The Gouka Tebukuro is known for its powerful fire attacks, the Fuyu no Muchi is unrivaled in its control over ice and snow, and the Unmei no Hato is famous for its ability to make the victim die from the death they fear the most. To me, it looks as though the thieves decided to take the Kido weapons and murder many poor, innocent souls with them."

By suggesting this, Katsuo was deflecting any suspicion that was cast on him. The Kokushibyou family was probably the craftiest family in Seireitei. They were skilled at lying and manipulation, which is partially why they never got caught committing crimes.

"Kokushibyou-sama has a point," the Central 46 member said, "Do any of you wish to add anything?"

The others shook their heads, signaling that they had nothing to say. The member of Central 46 made a humming sound.

"Very well," he said, "All heads should keep an eye out for suspicious activity, and report anything that seems unordinary. Meeting concluded."

The ones at the meeting stood up, their chairs scraping the floor. As they filed out of the room, Akio approached Hibiki with a friendly expression on his face.

"Hello, Hibiki-kun," Akio grinned as he fell into step with the Kurosawa, "I'm very sorry to hear that your family also had a Kido weapon stolen. I hope you find it soon."

"I hope you find your Mizukagami as well, Akio-san," Hibiki replied carefully.

"Don't worry, Hibiki-kun," Akio replied, "I will." With that, he walked off, leaving Hibiki to stare after him with narrowed eyes.

* * *

"Approximately 700 years ago, an organization called the Kurohato attacked Soul Society. There was no Gotei 13 back then, so Soul Society suffered more than they should have. Luckily, the Kurohato was suppressed mostly through the efforts of the Shinigami who later became the original captains of the Gotei 13. Now, the only remaining members of the original Gotei are the headmaster Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, captain of the 4th Squad Unohana Retsu, and captain of the 5th Squad Kotsubari Rin," the history teacher explained.

Jushiro quickly jotted down notes on the lecture in his notebook, writing down the important facts of the lecture. On one side, Isamu was also writing notes, although he looked half-asleep. Shunsui was merely doodling on his paper, barely paying attention to what the teacher was saying.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. As the students quickly gathered up their things, the teacher said, "Your homework is to study for the test tomorrow. That is all!" There was a groan from some students, but the teacher ignored them and prepared for his next class.

"Finally!" Isamu huffed as they left the room, "I can't stand that room."

"I can't either," Chouko said from behind the Shihouin, making Isamu yelp and hide behind Jushiro, who looked amused.

"Don't scare me like that, Shiba!" Isamu cried indignantly as Chouko doubled over laughing.

"Your face was priceless!" Chouko said, grinning, "Anyway, have fun in Kido Theory today. Yukimura-sensei is going to have you all learn how to access your Reiryoku."

Isamu brightened. "Really? Is that why you seem different?" he asked curiously.

Chouko nodded. "You noticed, huh, Shihouin?" she smirked, "Aimi and I managed to access our Reiryoku. It was pretty cool."

"What was it like?" Jushiro asked eagerly.

Chouko shook her head. "I can't tell. Sorry. The experience is unique for each person." The warning bell rang, telling the students that they had one more minute to get to class before they were considered late.

"See you all later," Chouko waved as she entered the History classroom. Jushiro, Shunsui, and Isamu headed for Kido Theory.

When they entered, they noticed that all the desks and chairs were missing, and that all of the student's belongings were being placed outside in the hall.

"Hello, Ukitake, Kyouraku, Shihouin," Yukimura-sensei said as the three arrived, "Please leave your things out in the hall. You won't need your books today."

"Yes, sensei," the boys said. They placed their books and notes out in the hall and went back into the room. Once everyone was present, Yukimura-sensei clapped his hands, gaining the attention of the class.

"Today, you all will be learning to access your Reiryoku," he explained, "I want you to find a space to sit on the floor. Make sure you're not too crowded."

Within seconds, the class was spread out on the classroom floor. Yukimura-sensei nodded approvingly.

"Good. Now, I want you to get into a meditating position and meditate," he ordered, "Breathe evenly, and calm your mind."

Jushiro closed his eyes and evened out his breathing. Filling his lungs with as much air as possible, Jushiro relaxed, pushing all the stressful things to the back of his mind.

After a few minutes of meditation, Jushiro suddenly felt as though something was closing in on him. He thrashed, struggling to get rid of the feeling and opened his eyes to find himself standing on a cliff.

_When did I get here? _He thought to himself, feeling fear and confusion rise in him. Looking down, he saw waves from the ocean crashing against the side of the cliff. Dark clouds hung in the sky above, and as Jushiro watched, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.

The white-haired boy backed away from the edge, but before he could take more than five steps, a white light appeared in midair in front of the edge of the cliff. He paused, eyeing the light warily when two voices suddenly spoke.

_Go ahead and get it!_

_Yeah, get it! It's yours!_

"Who's there?" Jushiro shouted, looking around for the owner of the two voices. There was a moments of silence before the voices spoke again.

_We can't tell you that yet._

_Yeah, you're not ready to know who we are yet. If you want to find out, you should go get that light!_

Jushiro glanced at the light hovering in the air and said, "Why should I trust you?" When the voices spoke again, they sounded hurt.

_That's mean! Why would we lie to you?_

_We wouldn't lie to you. Promise!_

Jushiro hesitated for a moment longer before deciding that he didn't have any other choice. He walked carefully to the edge of the cliff and stretched out his arm, reaching for the light. It was a few inches too far, so Jushiro leaned forward a bit more. He was balanced precariously on the edge of the drop, and the light was still a few millimeters out of reach.

_Just a bit farther!_

_Come on; you can do it!_

Jushiro took a deep breath and gave a final lunge. The moment his fingers made contact with the light, the latter vanished, absorbed into his hand. Jushiro felt a brief jolt go through his body, and then he was falling into the raging ocean below.

* * *

Shunsui looked around at the surroundings. He was standing on a dark purple platform in a dark, empty room in what looked like a tent at some carnival. A very depressing carnival.

"My, my," Shunsui mused, "So scary." As he spoke, a light appeared at the opposite end of the platform. Shunsui raised an eyebrow and glanced warily around when a feminine voice spoke.

_Well? Are you just going to stand there?_

"Who's that?" Shunsui called, trying to find the speaker.

_You don't need to know yet. Now, what are you going to do?_

"I'm guessing I'm supposed to go and touch the light or something along those lines?"

_Hmph. At least you're smart. Now go. You don't have all day. _As the voice spoke, the room began to disintegrate, showing infinite darkness behind its walls.

"What happens if I don't make it in time?" Shunsui asked as he began to run towards the light.

_Trust me. You don't want to know._

"Alright then," Shunsui muttered as he picked up the pace. There was still quite some distance between him and the light, and the floor was disintegrating behind him.

Shunsui sprinted faster. The light was only a few feet away now, but the crumbling edge was getting dangerously close. If he looked back, Shunsui could easily see the pitch-blackness underneath the floor. He didn't exactly fancy falling into that.

Once he was close enough, the Kyouraku made a desperate lunge for the light and grasped it with both hands. The light vanished into his body with a jolt, and the floor beneath him crumbled, sending Shunsui falling down into the darkness.

In the Kido Theory classroom, Yukimura Daisuke's head jerked up as two of his students' Reiatsu suddenly sky-rocketed, effectively flattening half the class. His eyes zeroed in on the students: Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro.

* * *

_The bit on the Kurohato (Black Dove) is important for future events. Please remember that section._


	7. Threat of the Black Swamp Demon

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

_**Chapter 7: Threat of the Black Swamp Demon**_

"That was…whew!" Isamu shuddered as the three of them left Kido Theory.

It had taken the rest of the class period for Yukimura Daisuke to get Jushiro and Shunsui to suppress their enormous Reiatsu successfully. The students who had been unable to withstand the pressure had to leave the room, while Yukimura allowed the ones who could withstand it stay and watch.

Jushiro grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of head.

"Hey, now. I was just saying," Isamu held up his hands, "You don't have to apologize, Ukitake."

"Sorry," Jushiro apologized again as Isamu struggled to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"Hey, you three!" Chouko skidded around the corner with Aimi following. She ran towards them. "Did you feel that Reiatsu last period?"

"Yeah," Isamu answered.

"It was scary, wasn't it?" Chouko exclaimed, "Our teacher had us take cover under our desks in case it was a ryoka or something!"

"Oh, it was no ryoka," Isamu assured her. Chouko looked at him curiously.

"How do you know?" she demanded. Isamu answered by pointing at Shunsui and Jushiro. The confused look changed into one of shock. "Really?" She stared at the two boys.

"Y-Yes…" Jushiro confirmed hesitantly, not liking the look in the Shiba girl's eyes.

"Your Reiryokus are very impressive, Ukitake-kun, Kyouraku-kun," Aimi said quietly, shyly playing with her sleeves as she smiled at them.

"Thanks, Aimi-chan…" Shunsui started to say, but was cut off when Chouko suddenly reached out and pinched his and Jushiro's cheeks.

"Ow!" Both boys cried at the same time, rubbing the reddening skin and giving Chouko indignant looks.

"Don't scare me like that next time!" she scolded, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Shunsui and Jushiro stuttered, trying to subtly put some distance between them and the fiery Shiba.

Isamu tried to save them. "Hey, Shiba…" he started.

Chouko turned her glare onto the Shihouin, effectively silencing him. "You got something to say?" she growled, eyes daring Isamu to continue his sentence.

"N-No, ma'am," Isamu wisely backed off, paling considerably and sweating bullets.

Chouko grinned evilly. "Good. Let's go to our next class," she said sweetly, leaving three wide-eyed boys behind.

"I never want to see that look in her eyes again," Isamu whispered in Jushiro's ear.

"Me neither," Jushiro whispered back as they headed for Law and Government. As they walked, Jushiro noticed that Shunsui looked excited for something. The Kyouraku was practically frolicking down the hall, which was strange because he never looked forward to going to Law and Government class.

"What's going on?" Jushiro asked Shunsui suspiciously. They had become best friends since the prank which consisted of a bucket of icy water, but there were still times when Shunsui surprised Jushiro and vice versa.

"You'll see when we get to class, Ukitake," Shunsui replied happily, giving Jushiro a wink. Jushiro groaned.

"What kind of prank did you pull now?" he whispered exasperatedly. Shunsui just laughed and didn't answer.

Jushiro was somewhat hesitant about entering the classroom. He was afraid that Shunsui had rigged another bucket of water or some kind of automatic slingshot in the room and was quite relieved when he made it to his seat without any sign of triggering a prank. Shunsui noticed Jushiro's wariness and pouted slightly.

"My, my, Ukitake. Do you really think I'd prank my best friend?" he asked, pretending to be offended.

"No, I'm looking to see who you intend to prank so I can warn them beforehand," Jushiro retorted good-naturedly.

Shunsui threw his arms around his best friend and cried into Jushiro's shoulder. "Ukitake," he fake-sobbed, "Why do you like ruining my fun?"

Isamu and Chouko snickered at the harassed look on Jushiro's face while Aimi looked fairly amused.

"Kyouraku, off." Jushiro attempted to push Shunsui away, but his friend just latched on tighter.

"No."

No matter what Jushiro said or did, Shunsui wouldn't let go. The Kyouraku was fond of hugs, and seemed to be giving them out to his friends daily. Isamu had received a big shock when he had gotten his first hug from Shunsui but had gotten used to it quite swiftly.

Aimi usually let Shunsui hug her. Sure, Shunsui would rather flirt and chase women instead of study, but he never groped. Both Jushiro and Isamu noticed that Shunsui only praised girls but rarely touched them or made any other physical contact.

On the other hand, Chouko would jab or kick Shunsui whenever he tried to hug her. This didn't deter him, unfortunately. In fact, this helped Shunsui develop faster reflexes, since he would hug Chouko and dodge all of her attempts to attack him.

Shunsui finally released Jushiro when their teacher walked in so that the latter could have his arms free to take notes. That was one thing Jushiro liked about Shunsui. The lazy boy might not be motivated to take notes for himself, but he didn't hinder others' note-taking. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, observing the teacher's every movement. Suddenly, Jushiro had a very clear idea of who the victim of Shunsui's prank was going to be.

Both of them watched as their sensei walked to his desk and opened the drawer that was reserved for third period class. A look of pure fury crossed his face and he let out a roar of anger. He jerked his head up and glared at the class, which had fallen eerily silent.

"Who did it?" he hissed angrily, resting his beady eyes on each student in turn. When they reached Shunsui, they narrowed. "Was it you, Kyouraku?"

Shunsui feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

"The drawer is flooded with lemonade!" the teacher roared, "Do not pretend that you didn't have _something _to do with this!"

Shunsui raised his hands in protest. "I honestly didn't do it, sir. Do you have any proof that says I'm lying?"

Jushiro cut in. "It's true, sensei. Kyouraku was with us," he gestured to Isamu, Chouko, Aimi, and himself, "the entire time yesterday. He couldn't have conducted the prank without us knowing about it."

The teacher stared at them. "Is this true?" he asked the other three. Isamu, Chouko, and Aimi quickly nodded their heads, although they, along with Jushiro, knew that Shunsui had disappeared for about ten minutes after dinner last night and none of them had known where he was.

Their sensei glared at their group for a little longer before slamming his palms down on his desk. "The entire class will come after dinner for detention until I find out who is responsible for this prank!" he boomed and was immediately followed by groans and protests. He ignored the noise and proceeded to teach the day's lesson.

Shunsui put his head down on his desk, still grinning, but he was frowning on the inside. He didn't think that his little prank would end up giving the entire class detention. He liked pranks, especially when the victims were teachers, but he didn't necessarily want others to get in trouble because of him. His smile became rueful as he planned his next course of action.

When the bell rang, all of the students gloomily began to gather their things. Shunsui stood up and stretched, waiting for Jushiro and the others to get their stuff together. Then, as the group walked out the door, the brown-haired student turned around and called to the teacher, "Hope you enjoy the lemonade!"

It took about three seconds for their sensei to process what Shunsui just said, and when he realized what the student was saying, he was far from pleased. "Kyouraku!" he bellowed and ran at the group of five.

Laughing, Shunsui flung an arm around Jushiro's shoulders and ran, dragging the poor Ukitake with him. Isamu, Chouko, and Aimi followed close behind and the teacher was only a few feet away.

The Kyouraku prankster led the chase downstairs and he and Jushiro turned left, but Isamu and the girls went right. The teacher hesitated for a moment at the bottom of the staircase before deciding that catching Shunsui and Jushiro was more important than catching the other three.

Jushiro and Shunsui ran out the front door and dashed around the corner, where they hid behind a large, tall bush that was growing close to the wall, right underneath the open window. They quieted their panting and watched as their pursuer ran straight past them.

"Close call, huh, Ukitake?" Shunsui whispered once their teacher was out of sight.

Jushiro shot Shunsui a slightly annoyed look. "No thanks to you."

Shunsui let out a puff of laughter. "Hey, at least the entire class doesn't have detention anymore."

Jushiro shook his head and started to climb out from behind the plant, but Shunsui suddenly grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back down. When Jushiro flashed him a questioning look, Shunsui put a finger to his lips and pointed at the open window. Jushiro then realized that they had taken cover right outside the Kido Theory classroom.

Both boys strained their ears to listen. There were two voices coming from the room. One of them was their sensei, Yukimura Daisuke, but the second one was a stranger.

Yukimura seemed to be stuttering. "I-I d-don't know wh-what you m-mean."

Shunsui and Jushiro raised their eyebrows. Yukimura-sensei sounded genuinely frightened, and it became clear why when the other person spoke.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Yukimura-san," the voice was cold and slimy, sending shivers running down Jushiro's and Shunsui's spines.

There was a short pause of silence before the second voice spoke again, "I'm sure you saw some very interesting things when you decided to poke your nose into other people's business."

"N-No. That w-was an accident, I s-swear," Yukimura's voice was shaking so badly, one could compare it with an earthquake.

The other one cut in. "Whether or not it was an accident, you now know information you're not supposed to know." Suddenly, there was a hissing sound as a sword was unsheathed.

Jushiro and Shunsui both stiffened and cringed slightly, anticipating the swing of the sword that would kill their teacher yet unable to move out of fear.

However, the stranger did not kill Yukimura. "Killing you would be too much of a hassle, Yukimura-san. Despite this, I hope you know what the consequences are if you say _anything_."

There was another short pause before the stranger said, "Good." There was another hissing sound as the sword was sheathed and faint footsteps indicating the departure of the threat.

As the footsteps faded, Jushiro and Shunsui both heard the quiet _thumps _as Yukimura-sensei fell to his knees inside the classroom. Their beloved teacher's gasps of fear were loud enough to be heard from where the two boys crouched, having witnessed a real threat of murder.

Neither of them moved for a long time. Just like Yukimura Daisuke, they knew that whoever that was wasn't kidding about the intention to kill.

* * *

_I feel like the chapters are getting shorter and shorter…I always try to aim for at least 2000 words per chapter, but this one just fell short of 2000. Oh, well, I can't help it. Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	8. On Deaf Ears

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

_**Chapter 8: On Deaf Ears**_

When Jushiro and Shunsui finally dashed back inside their dormitory and slammed the door, they were both breathing hard as though they had had to run for ten miles without stopping during Hoho class. The two boys bent over, hands on their knees as they struggled to catch their breath. Shunsui clutched a stitch in his side while Jushiro stifled a few hacking coughs. It wasn't until five minutes later that they noticed their red-haired roommate staring at them suspiciously.

Kamikaze Kaito rarely spent free time, if he had any, inside the dorm room with his roommates. When he did, however, he preferred relaxing without having people barge into the room, making enough noise to wake the dead. Yet, his rest had just been disturbed by the two people he seemed to dislike the most running into the room as though their hair was on fire, which obviously wasn't true.

Kaito narrowed his jade-green eyes at the Jushiro and Shunsui. He noticed that something about both boys seemed off. There was concern and fear in Jushiro's eyes, and the Ukitake's right hand was clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Shunsui's usually-relaxed shoulders were hunched by a fraction, so that only sharp-eyed people would be able to tell.

"If you two have gotten yourselves into trouble, I will not help you," Kaito stated coldly, laying back down on his bunk and staring at the ceiling.

"We're not the ones in trouble, Kamikaze-san," Jushiro said. The desperation in the white-haired boy's voice made Kaito glance at Jushiro from the corner of his eyes. The redhead didn't reply, which Jushiro took as a signal to continue.

"Please listen, Kamikaze-san," Jushiro pleaded nervously, "Kyouraku and I just got back from outside the Kido Theory classroom…"

"I do _not _want to hear about you and Kyouraku setting up another prank, Ukitake," Kaito interrupted, turning his head to cast Jushiro an annoyed glare.

"That's not it!" Jushiro protested, frustrated that Kaito wasn't taking him seriously. But then again, how could the redhead believe his word without suspicion? It wasn't exactly a secret that Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro were the biggest pranksters in the Shin'o Academy, even though the latter didn't exactly help the former set up the pranks.

"Take it easy, Ukitake," Shunsui soothed, putting a hand on Jushiro's shoulder to calm his best friend. As Jushiro took deep breaths to calm down, the Kyouraku addressed Kaito. "Kamikaze, even if you don't like Ukitake, you should know that he would never lie unless he had a good reason to."

Kaito snorted. _Defending you is certainly not a good reason, Kyouraku, _he thought, _and I don't find you half as credible as you should be._

Shunsui could guess what the hostile Kamikaze was thinking. "You may not think that defending me is a good reason, Kamikaze, but Ukitake believes in sticking up for his friends, which is a good enough reason for him."

"Kamikaze-san!" Jushiro burst out, "Kyouraku and I overheard someone threatening to kill Yukimura-sensei!"

That caught Kaito's attention. He slowly turned his head, eyeing Jushiro with narrowed eyes. "Threatening…to kill?"

"Yes." Jushiro proceeded to explain every single detail about he and Shunsui heard, starting from why they hid behind the bush to the departure of the stranger. When he had finished, Kaito stared at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence as Jushiro felt as though Kaito was trying to see through him, both literally and figuratively, the redhead scoffed and sat up, moving his legs so that they dangled off the edge of the bunk.

"You shouldn't say things like that to too many people," he berated emotionlessly and jumped off the bed.

"You don't believe me?" Jushiro inquired in a disappointed manner as Kaito walked toward the door of their dorm. The Kamikaze paused with his hand on the doorknob.

"…Who knows?" Kaito replied, "Whether or not you are telling the truth, you still shouldn't go around saying things like that. What if the threat finds out and decides to target you next?" With that, he left the room, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.

Jushiro sighed. "Geez. Can't he give us a clear answer for once?" He shuffled over to his bunk and flopped down with an exasperated sigh.

"Maybe that was as clear as he could get," Shunsui murmured as he sank onto his bunk at the opposite side of the room and threw one arm over his eyes.

"But what should we do?" Jushiro wracked his brains for an answer. Dozens swirled around in his mind, but each one only seemed to make things worse, if Jushiro thought about it.

At that moment, the door opened again and Shihouin Isamu poked his head in. His golden, cat-like eyes brightened up when he saw Shunsui and Jushiro lying on their beds. He sat down heavily on Jushiro's bed, making the white-haired student bounce a few inches into the air.

"Where did you two run off to?" he asked lightly.

Jushiro opened his mouth to answer, but Shunsui beat him to it. "Nowhere. Just for a little jog outside," the Kyouraku half-lied.

Isamu didn't miss the questioning glance Jushiro shot at Shunsui or the playful wink the latter returned. However, he didn't question his friends, knowing that if they felt it was something he should know, they would tell him outright. Instead, the happy gleam in the Shihouin's eyes faded as he remembered what had happened after he, Chouko, and Aimi had split up from Shunsui and Jushiro.

"We have to serve detention tonight after dinner in the classroom for Law and Government," he informed his friends.

"Did sensei catch you?" Shunsui guessed amusedly.

"Yes," Isamu admitted, "It was after we split up. You and Ukitake ran out to the front, but Chouko, Aimi, and I tried to sneak out the back door. He was standing right outside when we opened the door, and Chouko walked right into him! It wasn't pretty."

Jushiro half-laughed, half-sighed. "I guess we'll have to go to sensei's classroom after dinner then."

After a few more minutes of aimless chatter, the three of them headed off for Zanjutsu with Chouko and Aimi. As the five entered the Zanjutsu classroom, Yamamoto shot them a look that made three of them swallow nervously. However, the headmaster didn't say anything until every student was present, and even then, he only spoke to begin the lesson.

Today, Yamamoto was demonstrating techniques to deal with multiple opponents, and he called on Shunsui and Jushiro to be volunteers.

"Come at me, youngsters," Yamamoto ordered. He stood there with just his walking stick while Jushiro and Shunsui readied themselves and charged.

Jushiro reached Yamamoto first, and he swung his bokken at his sensei's right arm. Yamamoto easily side-stepped to the left and gave Jushiro a hard whack on the back, sending the white-haired student stumbling and falling flat on the floor.

With Jushiro dealt with, Yamamoto now turned and parried Shunsui's attack. One quick motion ended up with Yamamoto's walking stick smacking into Shunsui's stomach, forcing the student to go tumbling backwards, heads over heels.

Waiting for the two to stand back up, Yamamoto turned to the rest of the class. "What was wrong with Shunsui's and Jushiro's assault that allowed them to be defeated so easily?" he rumbled. When the no one spoke up, he looked at the two he had just beaten up, "What was wrong with your assault?"

"Our movements were uncoordinated and slow," Shunsui answered first, surprisingly, "There were too many openings in our defenses, which you easily breached."

"We didn't really work together," Jushiro added, massaging his back, "Instead of combining our strength, we tried to fight you one-on-one."

Yamamoto nodded and said, "Shihouin. Shiba. Kuchiki."

Isamu, Chouko, and Aimi started and stepped forward. "Yes, sir!" they shouted together.

"Work with Jushiro and Shunsui to fight me," Yamamoto commanded.

For another ten minutes, Yamamoto had the group of five try to attack him using various methods. None of them touched him, although they did get many bruises, especially on their backs and stomachs.

When Zanjutsu was finally over, all of them were limping and grimacing with pain with the exception of Shunsui. The Kyouraku was excellent at hiding gestures that suggested he was hurting or maybe he was just used to it. The other four were glad that Yamamoto had spared their arms and legs of a harsh beating.

"Ouch…" Isamu muttered when another student unknowingly bumped one of his sore bruises.

"Genryusai-sensei is…" Jushiro winced, "…very strong. It's not surprising that he is the Head Captain of the Gotei 13."

"That little show back there was his punishment to us for that little stunt with the Law and Government teacher," Shunsui said lazily, "If we were real enemies, we'd be dead before we even realized it."

"When I die, it's going to be because I was protecting Seireitei as a Shinigami!" Chouko declared, pumping her fist.

"Um, Chouko-chan, please don't start talking about your death before you even graduate," Aimi pleaded.

At that moment, Isamu decided to declare loudly that he wanted to die as Head Captain of the Gotei 13. This brought up a whole new round of discussion among Jushiro, Chouko, and Isamu. Aimi and Shunsui stood back and listened with somewhat amused faces.

That night during detention, the group of five had to force their incredibly sore arms to move so they could clean up the entire classroom. As Jushiro cleaned the floor underneath the desks, he noticed a dead rat on the ground below one of the desks. The white-haired student made a disgusted face before grabbing a paper towel and using it to pick up the corpse and toss it in the garbage can. He did not notice the disappointed glance that Shunsui gave him from across the room.

When they were dismissed though, Shunsui sidled up to Jushiro and grinned at his best friend. "Man, Ukitake, you ruined by newest prank," he complained playfully.

Jushiro blinked innocently. "New prank? What do you…?" Jushiro's voice trailed off as the pieces fell together in his mind, "You were the one who placed that dead rat under the desk?"

Shunsui began laughing at the look of realization on Jushiro's face. The latter watched his best friend with a look of growing annoyance on his face. Finally, the Ukitake gave the Kyouraku a good, hard kick in the knee. "Stop laughing."

"Okay, okay," Shunsui relented, "but the look on your face was funny."

"Kyouraku! I'm trying to discuss something serious with you right now," Jushiro said, scowling.

"What is it?"

Jushiro lowered his voice so that the other three who were walking ahead of him and Shunsui couldn't hear. "Why did you stop me from telling Shihouin about what we heard today?"

There was a pause before Shunsui answered, "Because of what Kamikaze said."

"Kamikaze-san?" Jushiro echoed disbelievingly, "Because he didn't believe us?"

"That's part of it," Shunsui explained, "Besides, he also said that we may be targeted if the threat finds out that we overheard a good part of the conversation."

Jushiro sighed. "I suppose so, but I still find it hard to believe that Kamikaze-san gave us advice. He always seems to hate us so much, although I have no idea why."

Shunsui grinned. "Let's just keep it to ourselves for now, okay, Ukitake?"


	9. Kamikaze Akio's Request

_Opening Song: Distance by LONG SHOT PARTY_

_**Chapter 9: Kamikaze Akio's Request**_

The next morning, Jushiro and Isamu couldn't get out of bed no matter how hard they tried. Their muscles were extremely painful, and just the thought of moving seemed to make their body feel as though a thousand needles were piercing it. For the first time since school started, Shunsui was the one who had to get Isamu and Jushiro out of bed.

Kaito watched as Isamu and Jushiro struggled to get accustomed to their throbbing muscles. There was a strange look in the redhead's eyes that seemed to be on the borderline for amusement. Unfortunately, neither Isamu nor Jushiro noticed since both of them were too busy trying to put on their clothes with as little pain as possible. Shunsui had already disappeared into the bathroom.

By the time Jushiro, Shunsui, and Isamu had gotten ready, breakfast was already halfway done, and Kaito was long gone. The three of them hurried out of their dorm and down the stairs, ducking into the line to get food. They carried their trays to the table where they usually sat. Chouko and Aimi were already there.

The Shiba gave them a nod of greeting, her mouth full with the tamagoyaki* that was a part of their breakfast. Aimi had already finished eating and was reading a book with great interest. Her eyes darted from side to side as she took in the information with enthusiasm.

"What book are you reading, Kuchiki?" Isamu asked curiously as he dipped a strip of nori* in soy sauce and rolled up some rice with it.

Aimi looked up. "Good morning, Shihouin-kun. This is a book on medical Kido that I borrowed from the Academy's library."

Isamu paused, his mouth half-open to eat the nori and rice. "There's a library in the Academy?"

"Don't tell me you just found out, Shihouin," Chouko interjected, having swallowed her tamagoyaki, "We've been here for almost a month now. Even that idiot Omaeda knows that the Academy has a library."

"I think I'll visit the library after breakfast," Jushiro mused, "I'd like to take a look at the books there."

"I'll go with you," Aimi volunteered, "I want to see if there are any more books on medical Kido that I can check out."

"Interested in medical subjects, huh, Kuchiki?" Isamu scrutinized the book that Aimi had in front of her.

The Kuchiki girl nodded. "Are you going to come, Shihouin-kun?"

Isamu tilted his head from side to side, purple hair swaying slightly in the process. "Sure, I guess. I don't have anything else to do."

"Coming, Kyouraku? Shiba?" Jushiro asked the other two.

Chouko shrugged and nodded. Shunsui yawned and agreed as well, although it was somewhat reluctant. The only reasons he agreed to go were because his best friend was going and he could sleep while the others looked at books.

They spent a few hours in the quiet library. Jushiro found a book with tips on Reiatsu control and Zanpakutos, which he decided to borrow along with a few fictional books for light reading. Aimi checked out another book on medical Kido, and the group of five left the spacious room.

On their way out, the group bumped into someone. The redheaded stranger apologized, and then stared, a wide smile appearing on his face as his gaze fell on the two girls.

"Hey, if it isn't Aimi-chan and Chouko-chan!" he exclaimed, green eyes glittering excitedly.

"Akio-sama?" Chouko replied in disbelief, "What are you doing here?"

Akio laughed and patted Chouko's head, ruffling her already-spiky hair. "Sorry, Chouko-chan, I can't tell. Who are these three?" he asked curiously, looking at Jushiro, Isamu, and Shunsui.

"Ukitake Jushiro, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you," Jushiro introduced himself politely and bowed.

"Shihouin Isamu. Nice to meet you," Isamu bowed as well.

Shunsui grinned and bowed a little as well. "Kyouraku Shunsui. May I ask your name, sir?" he inquired boldly.

The tall man smiled and waved a hand. "Kamikaze Akio," he told them, "I'm honored to meet you all."

"No, no. The honor is ours," Jushiro replied formally to the head of the noble Kamikaze family. Akio chuckled.

"You don't need to be so formal with me, Jushiro-kun," he reassured, "Just Akio-san or Akio-sama is fine."

"Akio-san, you have the same last name as Kaito," Isamu said, having just realized the fact.

Akio perked up. "You know Kaito-kun? Are you his friends? How is he doing?"

"Uh," Isamu was taken aback by all the questions, "Yes, we know Kaito, I don't know if we're his friends, and I think he's doing perfectly fine, but I don't see him around much."

"I see," Akio said, "He's probably studying his head off and training until he drops." He shook his head fondly, the way a father would do about his son. Suddenly, he turned to Jushiro and Shunsui and said, "Oh, Jushiro-kun, Shunsui-kun. Good job on that bucketful of water prank you pulled that other day!"

Jushiro blinked a couple times, confused as to why a person of great nobility was talking about pranks so lightly. Shunsui, on the other hand, laughed and said, "Thank you very much for your praise, Akio-san."

"My daughter did a similar prank before, except she used mashed bananas," Akio remembered. He bent down slightly and whispered, "May I ask you two a favor?"

"What is it, Akio-sama?" Jushiro asked, mystified.

"My daughter will be coming to the Shin'o Academy in a few years or so," Akio explained, pride shining in his eyes, "She tends to get in trouble a lot and needs someone sensible to keep an eye on her. You two look like you know what you're doing, so can you two make sure that she doesn't get hurt while she's here?"

"Your daughter?" Shunsui sounded ecstatic, "Another pure and beautiful maiden is coming to join this haven full of...ow!" Jushiro had stomped on his best friend's foot to get the flirtatious Kyouraku to stop talking.

Akio threw back his head and laughed, clearly amused by Shunsui's remark. "You're funny, Shunsui-kun," he declared, patting Shunsui on the shoulder, "I think you and Jushiro-kun here can be good friends with my daughter!"

He glanced out the window. "It's that late already? I'd better be going or my wife will get mad. Before I go, I would like to invite you all to come to the Kamikaze manor sometime."

"It would be an honor, sir!" Jushiro said, bowing deeply.

"How does winter break sound?" Akio asked, pleased with Jushiro's reply, "You all can come to my manor for a day or two, and we can have tea and get to know each other more."

"Will there be sake?" Shunsui inquired eagerly, earning a few stares from his friends. He had never mentioned sake before now, and his peers were surprised that someone as young as Shunsui drank alcohol.

Akio smirked teasingly. "Possibly. But I can't allow you to have any."

Shunsui's look of disappointment made everyone chuckle with amusement.

* * *

Kokushibyou Katsuo looked up from the sheet of paper he was writing on and scrutinized the man that stood in front of him. "Say that again," he demanded calmly.

Hibiki took a deep breath and repeated, "Yukimura Daisuke, Kido teacher of the Shin'o Academy, knows about our collection of Kido weapons."

Katsuo blinked slowly. "And…?"

Hibiki gaped slightly. "Sir?" he asked, confused as to why the head of the Kokushibyou family wasn't reacting in a more panicked way.

Katsuo put down his brush and interlaced his fingers. "Yukimura only knows that there are Kido weapons in the school, not who put it there. Even if the weapons get returned to their previous owners, it will not be hard to steal them again."

"B-But, sir!" Hibiki stammered, "He does know. After I knew he found out, I told him to tell no one or else I'd kill him."

The head of the Kurosawa family knew he made a grave mistake when he saw Katsuo's violet eyes flash dangerously. The Kokushibyou stood up slowly from his chair and approached Hibiki with slow and silent steps.

"Let me clarify, Hibiki," Katsuo said smoothly as he paced leisurely around his subordinate. Hibiki tensed nervously as he heard the hidden threat in Katsuo's voice. Katsuo's eyes narrowed, his sharp gaze penetrating Hibiki through the latter's every bone, "When Yukimura Daisuke stumbled upon our collection of Kido weapons, did he see anything that would link the weapons to us?"

"No, Kokushibyou-sama," Hibiki replied, resisting the urge to lie. He knew that he would be better off admitting his mistake and telling the truth than lying. Punishments for lying were much worse than punishments for making an honest mistake.

"And after you found out he knew, you went up to him and threatened him, which basically ascertains that he now knows who is responsible for the disappearance of various Kido weapons"

"Yes, sir." Hibiki waited tensely for his verdict. Meanwhile, Katsuo sighed and moved towards the fireplace, staring into the blazing orange flames.

"I do not fully blame you for the slip, Hibiki," Katsuo said, his voice barely a whisper above the crackling of the fire, "I understand that the Kurosawa family is known for their exceptional methods of torture, not their intelligence."

Hibiki shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Katsuo began to play with the poker that he kept by the fireplace, rolling the thin metal stick between his fingers.

"However," Katsuo continued, now prodding the searing hot cinders with the poker, "I cannot allow this to go unpunished. Because you messed up, we may get caught, and all of our plans would be ruined."

Suddenly and without warning, Katsuo turned and stabbed the red-hot end of the poker into Hibiki's right cheek. A low hissing sound could be heard coming from the point where the poker came into contact with Hibiki's skin.

Hibiki had set his jaw the moment he felt his flesh begin to burn. The incredible pain of the searing trapped Hibiki's breath in his chest. He struggled not to let a single sound of agony leave his mouth, since Katsuo would also make the punishment worse if Hibiki expressed discomfort.

After what felt like eternity, Katsuo removed the poker and put it back in its original place. Hibiki's abused skin welcomed the cool feeling of the air, although the flesh where the poker had touched carried a mark of a severe burn. It would never disappear, staying to remind Hibiki of his mistake each and every day for the rest of his life.

Refusing to touch the scar, Hibiki bowed to Katsuo. "I promise I will not make another mistake, Kokushibyou-sama."

Katsuo smiled a smile that could chill the Devil's bones. "I know you won't."

* * *

_*Tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) is a dish that is often served on the side._

_*Nori is dried seaweed._

_IMPORTANT NOTICE! I've created a poll for this story. It's on my profile. Now, 'A' and 'B' both represent different endings for this series, so just pick one and click vote. You have until the publishing of __Dissolve__, which is the third story, to cast your vote._


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